Shadows in the Dark
by harrylee94
Summary: Ben wakes up on the beach with Walter and Princess Milena, but how does this change the fate of Albion? And will Milena be able to face the dangers ahead? Can they really defeat the Crawler and the darkness it controls?
1. Headaches and Caves

**Headaches and Caves**

"…en! Ben!"

Captain Finn stirred, recognising his name, though not entirely sure why someone was looking for him. Was it one of the men? No, he'd left them all in Bowerstone. But where did that leave him? It wasn't Mourningwood. Too hot for a place like that… It definitely wasn't the rebel base, it didn't smell bad enough for that. The ship!

His eyes flew open, but he immediately regretted the action, the blinding midday sunlight damaging his vision temporarily, forcing him to cover them with his hands. As he remained in a rather undignified position he let his mind wander back to what he last remembered; the ship, the guns, sinking, swimming…

"Ben!"

The voice drew him back to the present. He knew that voice…

"Walter?" Slowly drawing his hand away, he took in his surroundings.

He was in the entrance of a cave; a very open and wide cave, but a cave none the less. He was lying on what appeared to be the remains of a table, which was surprisingly comfortable, and he could feel his wet clothes clinging to his body. Instinctively he reached up over his shoulder and down to his side to make sure his rifle and pistol were still there, and he sighed in relief when his fingers touched the smooth wooden butts of his weapons, though it didn't change the fact that they were probably useless. The slight pull on the rifle confirmed that his cutlass was also firmly attached.

As he opened his pocket bag, he removed some soggy paper sachets. Wet powder; the bane of all riflemen. He wasn't going to be using his Steel Flintlocks anytime soon.

Slowly, he pulled himself into a slightly wobbly standing position, leaning on a nearby rock as he found his legs again. How long had he been out?

"Ben!" came Walter's familiar voice as he came around the corner. It made his head ring as if he'd gotten pissed with his men in some tavern or another.

"Keep your voice down old man!" he cried, putting a hand to his head, "You trying to wake up…" he felt something wet and sticky tangled in his hair. Silently, he hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. When he pulled his fingers away from his skull, he saw they were covered in the red liquid he knew to be his blood. "Ah shit…"

At least that explained why he felt like he had one hell of a hangover.

The old knight noticed this and his smiling features grew dark. "That doesn't look too good."

Ben hissed when he found the source; a deep, thick gash hidden in his once golden locks. "You're telling me." Wiping his hand on his trousers, he began to make his way over to the water's edge. As he dove his head into one of the rock pools he supressed a cry of pain as the salt water entered his wound, but he knew it had to be done.

"I think it might need stitches." Walter said, his voice a lot closer than the captain had anticipated, making him jump.

"For Avo's sake! Don't do that!" he snapped, standing to face his superior officer, "I'm surprised the princess…" realisation dawned on him. "Milena…" Where was she? Had she survived the attack? Did she drown?

The grey haired man smiled at him. "Don't worry, she'd down the beach a bit. Thought I'd let her rest a bit longer before we headed off."

"And you didn't think I needed _my_ rest?" he asked, indicating his head.

Walter laughed, "Shut up Ben, you've been through worse." And with that, he began to make his way down the beach, the red clad officer in tow, grumbling all the way.

* * *

><p>Milena woke to the sound of waves, her cheek resting on what felt like sand, meaning she was on a beach somewhere. What beach and where it was located were two things she didn't know, but the fact that she was alive comforted her a bit. She screwed her eyes tighter as the sunlight tried to impose its presence to her, groaning softly. Tyson barked somewhere nearby, and the sound of footsteps came ever closer. She only dared to hope…<p>

Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she allowed herself to open her eyes.

"Are you alright?" asked a gruff and familiar voice.

Dragging herself to her feet, the young woman turned to face the two men who had approached her, her always-energetic loyal companion already running circles around them in his excitement, his soggy hair almost completely covering eyes.

"Yes," she smiled, "it's good to see you both made it."

"And the same to you princess," the captain replied, giving her one of his smug grins, "though that hardly surprises me. You are a hero after all." As he finished, he tilted his head to the side, causing him to wince. "Damn…"

"You're hurt?"

Ben's lip curled up slightly. "I've had worse." He lifted his hand to the back of his head. "But then again…" his eyes lit up when he faced her again, "you wouldn't happen to know any spells to fix this up would you?"

She grinned at him. "I don't think so."

The blond haired man feigned disappointment. "Ah well," he looked at Walter, "looks like it's stitches then."

Walter smirked, "I didn't say it would be any different! Anyway," he turned back towards the way they'd come from, "the only way forward seems to be… through a rather ominous cave."

As she followed, Milena couldn't help but think about the story he'd told her about when he'd gotten trapped in one with two others in one of his battles. It had left him with a fear of the things, though it was nothing in comparison to his frenzied fear of the dark; not the night dark, but pitch blackness where you couldn't see more than a foot in front of your face. From the way Ben was looking at the older man, it was clear he knew about this too.

As they began to walk into the deep cave, Walter paused for a moment. "Before we go any further, I'd just like to say one thing." The two younger members of their group frowned at him as he took a deep breath. "Balls!" His voice reverberated throughout the… tunnel… sending it into every crevice, every crack.

"Well," Ben said after a sizable pause, "that's one way to say 'hello' to Aurora."

Milena let herself giggle quietly, easing out some of the tension that had accumulated since she'd regained consciousness.

"I expected it to be less… cavey." Came the reply as they began to move on again, following Tyson as he dashed ahead, barking at a colony of bats as they flew towards the entrance. "Wonder what's got them spooked."

"Probably your terrible singing Wally." Ben grinned, earning him a punch in the arm. "Hey! Injured man here!"

"Shut up Ben!"

* * *

><p>They walked in relative silence for a few minutes, taking one step at a time, the dry sand giving way under their feet as they stepped deeper into the cave. Ben wondered what could be going through the old man's mind, being in one of the worst situations the knight could be in, and yet still he led them on.<p>

Unfortunately, his head was still throbbing, and his vision was blurring slightly, so it was only a matter of time before he'd have to…

"What the hopping hobbes is that?"

Blinking the fuzz away from his vision, Ben caught up to the awe struck pair who were looking over what appeared to be a banister. Following their gaze, he felt his jaw drop.

They were standing at the entrance to a large hall, the ceiling at least a hundred feet above them, carved pillars and staircases, most of which had collapsed, surrounding the centre of their attention. In the middle of the paved floor was what looked like a glowing pool of water, it's violet light giving off an uninviting air.

"It must be protecting something…" Walter continued, sidling towards the only intact way down, "like the way out most likely."

As he began to follow, he could feel himself beginning to sway slightly and moved towards one of the pillars to steady himself and let the spots clear from his vision. He must have lost more blood than he realised. By the time his sight had returned to normal, the others were already at the top of the stairs.

"Well I'll tell you one thing…" Walter said, to no on in particular, as Ben struggled to catch up, "we haven't got this far, this many people behind us, to end up dying in some forsaken, far-off hole in the ground."

Ben smirked. "Doesn't really inspire confidence, old man." He continued down a few more steps before having to rest for a moment, putting pressure on the back of his head, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to make the world stop spinning.

"Are you alright?" he heard Milena ask, a soft hand resting on his arm, pulling it away from his wound. She hissed. "We have to sew that up."

He shook his head. "It's not that bad! I'll get over it soon anyway."

"It's still bleeding."

Ben frowned. How could it still be bleeding? The blood should have clotted by now… unless it was deeper than he thought. "Can you see anything white?" he asked, silently praying to Avo the answer was…

"Yes."

_Shit._ "Walter! I'm gonna need those stitches now!" he cried, eyes now wide open, staring at the knight, all his humour gone. "It's deeper than I thought."

When Walter arrived he examined the cut properly, moving the princess out of the way. "Balls. Right down to the skull… You got any thread?" Reaching into his bag, Ben pulled out the hooked needle every soldier had to carry, but the thread had been lost with the tide, but, for whatever reason, Milena had some. "You'd better sit down for this."

Once he was sat on one of the boulders, he tensed, ready for the necessary pain awaiting him.

* * *

><p>Milena couldn't watch as the needle first pierced the captain's skin. It looked painful, and she was grateful that her Will prevented wounds such as those from remaining open for too long, meaning she never needed stitches. Instead of waiting for the process to be over, she continued down the stairs and began to search for a way past the glowing lake.<p>

Upon closer inspection, she realised how thin it was, but it could somehow hold both her and Tyson's weight. She couldn't help but wonder at the powerful magic that had been hidden in this cave.

She must have spent longer than she thought looking at it, because when she looked up again, Ben was standing up and slowly making his way further down the steps, Walter already searching one of the piles of bones that were lying around the edges.

"Looks like these poor sods got stuck here." He toed some of the ribs, only to have them crumble at the contact. "Perhaps they have something useful on them." He knelt down, groaning slightly as his knee popped. "Why don't you have a look over there."

The rebel princess walked over to one of the other corpses and pushed it over with her foot, revealing a piece of paper. As she picked it up, the layers of sand and dust covering it slipped off, revealing faint, spidery lettering. "I've found something…" She read the first line. "'It speaks to us still. Darkness incarnate. We know now we can never escape it.'"

"Well…" Walter said after a few moments, "that doesn't sound good."

"Has there been anything good since we've arrived here?" Ben asked sarcastically as he began to rummage around in a bag he found.

"Hey, I've found something too!" her teacher exclaimed, ignoring the pessimistic comment, holding up a book. "Looks like a journal. Or what's left of one anyway, and most of it looks like gobbledygook anyway." He walked over to the barrier. "I mean listen to this nonsense. 'Luminous spirits of the sands, impart daybreak and gleam under a quiet moon'." He laughed. "What's that supposed to…"

Suddenly, the letters flew from the page, and the 'lake' rippled, disintegrating from the centre.

Ben jumped to his feet, hand falling to his pistol. "Bleedin' heck!" Milena had to agree, letting her gaze fall on her cheerful mentor.

"Look at that!" He smiled. "Can you believe I did that?" he laughed, though it wasn't as joyful as it was before. Now he could see how dark it really was. "Uh… it does look somewhat dark though." He took a tentative step away from the edge. "Maybe going down isn't such a good idea."

Milena came over to him and held his hand, making him look at her. She smiled. "We'll be right here with you, every step of the way."

"Yeah," Ben's hand fell onto his opposite shoulder, "All the way."

The knight nodded at them both but didn't say a word, and they began to make their descent into the darkness, the entrance resealing once they'd gone down several feet.

There was no going back now.

**AN - Well, this is my first chapter for my first Game fanfiction. I hope you guys liked it, and for those who follow my other stories, yes, I know I said I wouldn't start any more, but I couldn't help it! The temptation was too great!**

**The two perspective thing's a new one for me, so I hope you guys liked it. I have no idea when the next chapter for this or any of my stories will be up, but I hope it won't be too long...**

**And for those of you who don't know, there's a book called 'Fable: Blood Ties' coming out soon based entirely around Ben Finn, so if you like him, then I'd suggest you read it!**

**Until next time!**

Headaches and Caves


	2. Shadows of the Mind

**Shadows of the Mind**

The further down the winding staircase they travelled, the more the darkness thickened ad clung onto their very beings, seeping into their clothes, dripping into every crevice, every nook and crack in the stone surrounding them. Once they'd finally made it to the bottom, they were almost drowning in their own blindness, and Ben didn't like it.

From the glow of the barrier, some hundred feet above them or so, he could just about make out the remains of what appeared to be once mighty pillars, rags hanging on either side which could only have been flags, though whatever colour was once in them was now faded and dull.

The captain caught himself poking at his now sewn up wound and forced himself to pull his hand away, not wanting to cause his blood to start flowing again. It was already bad enough with the amount he'd lost already; along with the darkness, his sight was being impaired by the consistent presence of spots floating across his line of sight.

"You know I said it looked 'somewhat dark'?" Walter suddenly asked as they stepped through into a long corridor, the floor laid with different coloured slabs of what looked like marble, "Well, I'd like to amend that statement: we're looking into utter, total, complete darkness."

"You sure that's not an understatement?" he asked, leaning on his knees as another wave of nausea hit him, trying to make light of the situation they were in; hundreds of feet underground, with no one with any idea of where they were, in a darkness as black as night.

As he'd been talking, the sound of paws on the stone became gradually louder. Looking around him, Ben realised that Milena's dog wasn't with them, so it must have been him. It was moments later when the canine bounded into view, with a rather large object held firmly in his mouth.

Walter began to kneel down. "Oh, what've you got there boy?" he asked, holding out his hand. When he held… whatever it was, he let out a triumphant yell, "You little genius! Good boy." Tyson barked, but remained to watch the old man as the unmistakable clicks and flashed of a tinderbox filled the room. Suddenly, there was a flare, and the corridor was illuminated by the torch grasped in the knight's hand. "Oh now, that's better."

"Better?" Ben asked playfully, "How's it better now that we can see your ugly…" he yelped in pain when the princess' fist came in contact with his arm. He was about to make a remark when he noticed her shaking her head. Not the time.

Luckily for him, Walter hadn't heard his comment, and was busy looking around the place. It was as decrepit as the rest of the cave; chunks of rock missing from once smooth walls, pillars that looked like malformed tree trunks, slabs missing from the floor. There was one thing though, that Ben did not expect; they were surrounded by unlit candles and wax.

"So," Walter began, "what do you think this place is?"

Milena shrugged, "I have no idea."

"Maybe it's some sort of underground training facility." The young captain said, knowing full well that that wasn't the case, but he wished to Avo that it was.

Walter sniggered. "That'll be the day…" he held their only source of light up higher, spreading its range. "Temple of some sort?"

More like devil worship! "And what could anyone possibly worship in here?" Ben said, "They'd go blind!" His two companions turned to face him, annoyed frowns on their faces. "What?"

The princess sighed. "How many times do we have to tell you to shut up, Ben?"

* * *

><p>Did the soldier not get it, or was he trying to scare Walter on purpose? Or had the lack of blood had made him brain dead? Either way, Milena made a mental note to make sure he paid for what he'd done later.<p>

It was frightening, knowing your mentor, the man you've looked up to for almost the entirety of your life, was as terrified, if not more so, as you. She could understand why, but it was still hard to accept it. When Ben had suggested that they could be locked in eternal darkness, she saw him shiver.

As they exited the small corridor, a light both from above and a familiar purple glow up ahead made the grand, collapsed hall seem more like a graveyard. The princess shivered as she remembered her time in Mourningwood; the hobbes, the hollow men… Major Swift… She still couldn't believe he was gone, and even though she'd only known him for a short time, she'd respected him to the highest degree, though there was no way she could ever understand what kind of loss these two men felt, what betrayal.

"Woah!" Walter exclaimed, pulling his student out from her thoughts, "We're not going any further this way."

He was right. Between them and the way out was a chasm that seemed endless, the thick shadows clinging to its depths. There was probably a way across, and from the way the banisters were arranged, it seemed that it must have a bridge of some kind. As Milena let her eyes explore the decrepit 'temple', she noticed something sticking out of the ground on the other side, right in the centre of the platform.

"Walter," she asked, pointing towards the strange… lever, "what do you suppose that is?"  
>Squinting, the knight followed her directions. "Looks like a bridge." He scratched his chin. "Is that the mechanism to raise it on the other side?"<p>

Ben chuffed, causing the both of them to turn. He was leaning against the entrance, trying hard not to look as tiered as he was, but it was far too obvious for the princess to ignore. She was about to say something, but he began to shuffle towards them. "It had better be, otherwise we're stuck here!" Did this man have no sense of sympathy? "Mind you, if this _was_ a temple, then there _must_ be a way across."

It made sense. Unless someone was always on the other side of this canyon, then there would have been no way for worshipers to get across from this direction, which seemed like a stupid idea; leaving valuable worshipers here to die…

The torchbearer beside her began to look around, going back towards the ignorant captain, swinging the fire back and forth until the light settled upon a brake in the uniformity of the banister. It was a set of steps that led down to a collapsed floor, some fifteen feet below the edge. "Here we go. You should be able to make it to the other side from here."

Milena nodded, then taking a quick look back at the resting soldier, she jumped.

* * *

><p>When the princess disappeared over the edge of the stairway, Ben felt his heart jump, and he felt himself waiting for the cry that never came; the cry he knew would never come. Why was he worried about her? She could take care of herself. She was a Hero for Avo's sake!<p>

Suddenly, he became aware of the hand on his arm and looked up to find Walter smiling at him. "Come on Ben. We'd best get ready to move."

Slowly, they walked towards the pit, the captain holding onto his friend's shoulder as the spots began to return, making sure he didn't collapse because of a little blood loss. By the time they got there and the dizziness had dissipated, Milena was already at the platform, stepping cautiously towards the lever.

"Okay be careful now." Walter shouted, "That thing's probably pretty stiff, and we don't want to make any more noise than we have to."

Ben snorted. "With all the noise you're making," he said, "I don't think she has to worry about that." He knew the old man was giving him one of _those_ looks, but refused to return it, only watching the young woman opposite them.

With a great _clunk_, the lever moved under the weight of the young Hero.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and large pieces of the architecture fell from the ceiling, forcing the already unstable man to grip tighter onto his support. The bridge shot out from the other side, making the ground shudder as it finally stopped.

They made their way over the newly formed bridge. "Yes... and quiet as stealthy mice, the adventurers forged on ahead." Walter said before pausing, cocking his head to one side.

Something… whispered. It wasn't a nice one, like wind whistling through cracks, or a friend asking if you were all right, it was more like enemies conspiring to do you harm, their words too quiet to hear, but sinister all the same.

"Did you…?"

"I know I have a tendency to be slightly paranoid," Walter interrupted, "but did that sound like something friendly to you?"

None of them spoke, eyes dashing everywhere in expectation, daring whatever it was that had made that noise to come out and join them, to face them on equal terms. As they ascended the stairs, Ben could almost touch the tension in the air, the unseen eyes watching them from a safe distance.

As they drew ever closer the top, the blond haired man saw the exit, blocked by the eerie glow of a barrier.

"Now where have we seen that before?" asked Walter sarcastically, letting the younger man fall behind as he neared the magical wall. Pulling the book he'd picked up earlier out of his pocket, the knight cleared his throat. "Stand back. Walter the scholar will deal with this." He flicked through the pages. "Hmm... with an increasing sense of trepidation, admittedly." He coughed again. "'Luminous spirits of the sands, inhale the restless glaoming'."

Just as it had done before, the words on the pages began to glow, and the path became clear. "There you go, what can I say?" Walter returned the book to his pocket, "I have a knack for gibberish."

Before he could get left behind, Ben dashed for them… just before the way became blocked.

"Um. Do you ever get the feeling that somebody's playing games with us?" Walter's voice wavered even as he spoke and Ben felt his mouth dry. If this man, one of the best fighters in the whole of Albion, if not _the_ best beside the princess and… Major Swift, was getting scared of something besides his own personal fears, then there was definitely something to be worried about.

Milena smiled at them, and he could feel his heart light up. She nodded. "All the time."

"Lets just be thankful and get through this place as quickly as we can." Her mentor said, and he continued on, holding the torch above their heads, leading the way towards what was hopefully the exit.

Walking down yet another staircase, with yet more candles and tattered flags, sand covering most of the floor and unable to see much further than the area the torch brought light to, it was enough to make this journey seem endless. Luckily, the sunlight from some cracks in the rocks brought a little more light, making the whole place seem less…

* * *

><p>The light faded, leaving only the fire from the torch as they were surrounded by darkness, and finally, the presence they had all been feeling since she had moved the bridge made itself known.<p>

Its voice was as slick as oil, blotting out Milena's confidence, her hope, her happiness. "The light you bring will die. The light inside you will die…"

Walter began to turn, looking for the source of the voice, Ben began to reach for his pistol and the princess could feel her fingers twitching towards her hammer. "Who's there?" Walter asked.

"All that you are will die."  
>"Show yourself!"<p>

There was silence. There was no sound. It was as if she'd lost her sense of sound, but then there was a hiss, long and purposely drawn out as hundreds of pairs of glowing eyes appeared in the shadows, like balvarines waiting to pounce in the woods at Silverpines.

"Ah shit!" Ben exclaimed, pulling his pistol out and firing it towards their unseen foes, only to have the weapon fail, forcing him to pull out his cutlass.  
>The voice laughed, chilling her to the bone. "The children are here to play."<p>

Creatures of shadow emerged from the darkness, advancing slowly, wings outstretched, weapons drawn. As the captain cut into one, it disintegrated into dust, vanishing into thin air. Walter used the torch as his weapon, sparks flying as it came into contact with the things. "What are they?" he cried as he hit another.

"Be corrosive. Be pernicious. Be diseased. Be devoured." The voice taunted, even as they destroyed more of its 'children'.

As the fight wore on, Milena felt herself block out all the outside distractions. The voices became a blur and all that was keeping her there was the seemingly endless flow of enemies, keeping her occupied, distracted.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she began to swing her hammer round… almost hitting Ben who had quickly stepped away.

"You're tainted." The voice said, "The stain will never wash out. The sun will never shine upon you again. Tainted broken little toys."

"It's alright." Walter said, urging on, "We're alright. We... we just have to keep going, that's all. We're all all right."

As they continued to travel further into the depths of the darkness, Milena became distinctly aware of the terror her mentor was emitting. It was almost tangible. Eyes appeared before them, coming closer and closer…

"More of those things!" the knight cried, swinging the torch back and forth as a colony of bats flew over his head. When he realised his mistake, he let out a deep breath. "Come on Walter. Just hold it together."

As they moved further and further down, the young woman could feel her grip on reality slipping; the darkness was still surrounding them, beneath them, it scurried across the ground if they got too close, and drifted away as the light touched it. More and more bats flew by them, squeaking in fear, heading in the opposite direction to them. This did not bode well. That, and the fact that Ben hadn't spoken for more than a minute.

The soldier looked very pale, and was constantly leaning on the walls for support, showing how his wound and the fight had affected him, but he was keeping up, like the stubborn man she knew he was. There was no way he was going to let this beat him.

As they passed some ominous looking statues, Walter continued to rant. "Damn this book and whoever wrote it. The bastard. Why didn't they tell us what was down here? 'Darkness incarnate'. Like we're supposed to know what that means." More of the shadows scurried away. "It won't stop. It won't stop till it kills us"

Milena froze. Was… was that defeat? Was that the voice of surrender? She shook her head. Not Walter. No. She turned to Ben, his face equally wide eyed with worry, but he continued on, remaining unusually silent as they began to scale yet more stairs.

She sighed when she felt a breeze across her face, letting it cool her down as she… a breeze?

Walter must have felt it too because he was running now, leaving them behind. "Wait, I think we must be close to an exit. There's a cold breeze. Can you feel it?"

Quickening her pace, the princess caught up to him as they got closer to the next doorway. "Walter! You have to wait!"

He didn't hear her, but he did slow down a bit as the whispering began again. "There's that sound again. It's almost like..."

A sudden gust of wind blew through the corridors, extinguishing his words, and with it, the light.

* * *

><p>"No! Not the light. Not the bloody light." Walter cried, his voice the only point of reference Ben had for his and the princess' location. After falling behind, he had doubled his efforts in trying to reach them, but without the light and his wound, it made it near impossible.<p>

Suddenly, there were several flashes from a tinderbox, illuminating the knight's face as he leant over the torch. "Come on, work, dammit. Those things are all around us! Come on, come on, come on!"

When he finally relit our only source of light, a wave of relief washed over them, but it was short lived. As he turned, the creature grinned.

It had a head not all that dissimilar to a spider's, with at least six eyes and a mouth that seemed to open any way it wanted. Its lanky body was hunched over, its long arms almost touching the ground as it stared at the terrified man.

"Walter!"

The old man swung the torch back and forth, the light blinding the captain momentarily, giving the creature time to leave.

"Balls." Walter whispered. "No, no, no, no, no... No, no, we have to get out of here, you hear me? You hear me? We have to get out of here!" he continued, picking up speed, making it harder for Ben to keep up. "As long as we have fire we'll be all right. We have to keep walking and we'll get out of here and we'll be all right."

"We are coming…" the voice said, piercing through every fiber of his very being, cutting down any hope he had of escaping without ever seeing it again.

"It's here!" Walter exclaimed frantically, dropping into an almost sprint, leaving him behind to fend for himself in the darkness. He could felt the shadows moving around him as he tried to move closer to the light, its fingers holding him back.

"…we will devour your kingdom"

He tore through the nets holding him, forcing himself forwards, ignoring the fatigue he felt.

"There will be no bargains. There will be only darkness…

"Leave us alone!" Walter cried, a beacon in the night, drawing him towards his friends.

"The children command it."

Suddenly, the hall was filled with light as Milena used her Will to blast several of the shadow beings into the next universe with one of her fireballs. If his gunpowder were dry, he'd have been right there beside her, but as it was, he was forced to go one on one with his cutlass. It wasn't his weapon of choice, but at least it got the job done.

"It doesn't matter if you leave. We are inside you. Your heart, your lungs, your thoughts will all be blackened!" Ben could feel his mind beginning to mist over as the effects of his wound was starting to take over. "You will turn to moss and dust and we will take the darkness into the world." Still he fought, but his grip on consciousness was slipping, and he knew, if he didn't rest soon, there would be no hope. "You bring the light but it betrays you. It knows you're not worthy of its toxic gleam."

Finally the shadows ceased their advance, and the captain collapsed to the floor in a heap, rubbing his eyes to make the spots disappear.

"Did the blind seer not tell you about us? Did she not warn you?" The voice laughed a deep, soul curdling laugh.

Walter snapped. "QUIET!"

Even though he couldn't see what was going on, at least not completely, he could hear it. He could hear the _thud_ of wood on stone, the screams of some ungodly creature calling out in pain, the whispers ceasing their murmuring. The light was gone, but so was the darkness.

"It's gone," the old man sighed, "The bastard's dead and gone. And we're getting out of here."

"Wait!" Milena exclaimed. He could feel her hand on his shoulder as she leant in next to him, pulling him up to his feet. "Come on Ben, we've got to move."

He waved her off. "Don't you worry about me, love. You go on ahead, I'll catch up soon." I hope, he added to himself. His sight had cleared up enough for him so see her nod her head, going back to the old man's side.

As the pair left, he returned his attention to his sight. It didn't really help that the floor was moving (or was that just him) or that it was almost pitch black anyway, but as he moved around a corner, the light from one of those barriers made it easier to tell. Now that the ground had ceased oscillating, all that remained were the spots, which were easy enough to live with. Taking a deep breath, he continued onwards.

"…isn't far down!" Milena's voice exclaimed from around the next turn.

"Right, here I come then." Walter replied, his voice much closer than the princess'. "Three... Two..." Ben turned the corner and his eyes widened at what he saw.

The creature was there, stood right behind him, a cloud of darkness swirling around in anticipation behind him, ready for a feast. "One..."

"No!" He dove, pushing the knight, Albion's protector, over the edge just as the creature reached out. It cried out in frustration, but when it's eyes fell on him, lying helpless on the floor, it grinned.

"Perfect." It said, before his world was claimed by the darkness.

**AN - #Gasp# That's the longest chapter I've ever written! Wow! I can't believe I've actually done it!**

**I hope you guys had a great time reading this (I sure did writing it!).**

**Yet again, no promises as to when the next chapter will be up. I kind of felt like this bit had to be done before I did anything else.**

**Once again, I'm sorry I haven't uploaded anything for my other stories for a while, but I will soon! (hopefully)**


	3. Blind in the Desert

**Blind in the Desert**

"Ben! Ben!"

Milena stared up at the ledge, hoping, praying that the obnoxious soldier was going to jump over, following the old man he'd sent flying towards her, but she knew it was too late. The thick, oily cloud was beginning to ooze over the rock, dripping onto the ground in front of them, its polluting vapours twisting through the air, growing fingers to reach out and grab them.

Walter began to pull on her arm, holding his wounded hand against his chest, the one he'd broken in the fall. "Princess, it's too late. He's gone. We have to move."

Nodding, she let him lead her away.

"You let him die."

She shivered, the voice penetrating her very being, pulling at her guilt. Why did she leave him behind? Why did she let herself listen to him?

"You let us take him. But you're glad, are you not?"

"Milena, don't listen to it. It's not your fault!" her mentor shouted as he drew his sword, ready to defend himself against the shadows that were appearing from the black sludge that was devouring the landscape.

"You wished him pain. You wished him undone, unthreaded, unliving."

Her hammer crashed through them, the smoke floating away as the last of the creatures vanished, and the voice fell silent. What it had said had been wrong; there was no way she would wish harm upon her friends. Or would she?

She remembered how she had felt earlier, ready to spill his guts for what he was doing to Walter. Did she really want this?

"Milena please!" her mentor began to pull on her arm again, "We have to go before it's too late."

It was all her fault. Ben was gone because of her. He was dead because she'd wished it. It was all her fault!

"Milena!"

She followed his direction, not really caring where she was going. She didn't deserve his help. She was worthless; a heartless wretch who should never become queen. She was nothing, and the voices knew it, whispering to her about her failures. First Elliot, then Major Swift, and now Ben.

"A great wave of darkness will cover your land." The voice said, even as more of its children emerged. She only killed them to please Walter now, _for_ Walter. If anyone deserved to get out of this alive out of the two of them, it was him. "They will come for your king. Who would sit upon the throne of Albion?"

"Don't listen!" the knight said, turning to face her before looking out into the darkness. "You'll never take us! Never!"

The voice laughed. "You are fragile things. You and your kind dissolve so easily."

If only she could dissolve. If only she could disintegrate like the beings she destroyed. If only…

"They're gone." Walter sighed, but he kept his sword out, ready for the next opponent.

Before he could say anything, Milena charged on ahead, up the sloap towards the next set of pillars, jutting out in the distance.

"But you too wish for the black void."

"Yes…" she gasped, letting her hammer droop in her hands, "please…"

"You tire of your travels, your burdens, the cries of the helpless, the cries of your dead."

More of the shadows disintegrated under her Will, the power flowing through her not willing to give up, still holding on to the life it gave her, giving her hope that all was not lost, that Ben was alive. Yes, he had to be! That stubborn bastard would never let something like this get the best of him! Not in a million years!

"You too will be swallowed."

Gritting her teeth together, she drew her riffle, firing it at every target she saw, silently thanking Avo that the powder had finally dried out.

"You feel us! You feed us!"

She aimed her gun at the last one. "Yeah? Well eat this."

The voice fell silent as the last of the shadows evaporated. Was this the last step? Were they nearly out? Was Ben waiting for them around the next bend? Quickly, she followed Tyson up the rest of the slope, Walter not far behind to the next exit.

There was something at the other end of the dark room, but she wasn't close enough to see it. Jumping down from her perch, Milena approached the dark mass, stepping closer and closer, until…

"Ben!"

* * *

><p>His name. He heard his name, and the sweet sound of Milena's voice. But that would mean that she was close. No! She had to get away! She had to leave before the darkness took her. She was too important to so many to be lost now! He tried to shout, to tell her to leave him, but he couldn't; it was in his mouth, his throat, his lungs. He could barely breath, its sticky mass holding him in place, letting him open his eyes, taunting him with the sight of the princess, hands over her mouth in shock.<p>

"Oh Ben!" she exclaimed, reaching out to touch him, but pulling her hand back before she could become infected by this disease.

"You see how she cannot bare to touch you. How she will not free you." The voice said, deep within the confines of his mind. Nothing was his any more. The darkness had taken it all. "She will abandon you, just like she did before. You are nothing but dirt on her shoes."

He tried to retaliate to it, but it just pressed down harder into his mind, delving into his memories, tearing through them and leaving them scattered in the wind. The day he got his first gun, the deaths of his brothers, Jason and Quentin, along with the disappearance of his other sibling, William, and the passing of his parents. His various jobs after flashed through his mind, his adventures, the freight ship, and finally, Major Swift. No mater how personal the memories were, the darkness flicked through them as if he were an open book.

"What happens to this piece of flesh when darkness touches its soul?"

It dug deeper, scraping through everything he was, everything he had been, everything he _could_ be. It searched through him, until it reached his eyes. He tried to scream, to cry out as he felt it take them, one by one, the light fading until he was left in total darkness, in a void of nothingness.

"Ah. The eyes are gone forever!"

"No!"

Milena! Run!

He tried to speak, to whisper, but the darkness still had him in its grasp. He tried to struggle but it only held him tighter, squeezing the life out of him.

Suddenly, the pressure vanished, and he felt himself land on the floor, his face pressed against the cold stone. He could feel it twisting away, leaving him alone in the night.

"The dark guardian shall come and protect us. And all that is flesh and light shall die."

What could that mean? Was that why it left?

"Walter! Help Ben!" the princess cried as the sound of stones scraping filled his ears. Was that the guardian? Avo, he felt so helpless!

Slowly, he pushed himself up onto his elbows, and then his hands, blinking to try and see if he could regain his sight, but to no avail. The creature had left him to suffer in the dark.

Ben could feel a warm, familiar hand on his back and tried to turn to see who it was out of habit before he could stop himself, and then it sunk in. He was never going to see again. He was never going to fight, never see the sights he'd wished to see since he was a kid, never become that adventurer he wanted to be. He was going to end up like all those poor blind bastards, in a poor house sitting uselessly in a dark corner, or a workhouse until the day they died.

"Ben?" came Walter's voice, "Ben, are you all right?"

He shook his head. "It… it took my eyes. I can't see!" he hit the ground with his fist, "I can't…" An explosion shook the room, and he could feel the old man's weight leaning on him. "Milena?"

"She's fine. She just blew some of those things to smithereens."

He nodded. "What's going on?"

"Well, some of those bloody shadows started attacking a while ago, and then they started fighting using the statues we saw earlier," Walter explained, "though I've got to say that they're a lot easier to hit going by how well our princess is doing."

Ben sniggered. If the old man was joking around, it meant they had good odds of getting out of this alive.

The ground shook again and his head exploded in a burst of pain, causing him to shout out as the last of the darkness left him, gripping at his skull with both hands. It was over quickly, but there was a quiet ringing in his ears where his eardrums popped from the explosions.

"This land is ours. Darkness shall spread across the world."

"Avo, I wish that thing would just _shut up_!" he exclaimed as the sound of light footsteps approached them. He flinched slightly when the princess touched his face, but he let her guide it.

"Ben…" she said, her soft voice soothing his fears, "your… your eyes…"

He gave her a grim smile, "Don't you worry about it love. We've gotta get moving. Don't want to have come this far only to get caught out by… this." He began to pull himself off of the floor, getting up onto one knee before he felt his legs beginning to buckle, his muscles too weak from his ordeal to hold his weight. Luckily, he felt Milena catch him, swinging his arm over her shoulders, keeping him upright.

"We have to go," she said, her sweet voice tainted by the fear that they were all feeling, "Walter, lead the way."

* * *

><p>Blind! How could he be blind? This cocky arrogant bastard couldn't be blind! No. If he'd survived the darkness, then he could get his sight back, and there was no mistaking it.<p>

Wrapping her arm around his waist, Milena started to follow her mentor down the steps. When he put his hand out, she could feel her stomach tighten. He looked so helpless, only a shadow of who he was not ten minutes before.

"Come on, come on! We're almost there!" Walter cried as light spilled into the corridor; glorious golden sunlight.

"There?" Ben asked as he took several more cautious steps forwards, his grip on her arm tightening.

"Outside," she replied, barely able to hide her excitement, "we're almost through."

She quickened her pace, the prospect of leaving this damned place behind too great for her to ignore, the captain at her side stumbling to keep up, but the smile on his face told her no to slow down.

As soon as the wind hit their faces, they let out a sigh. They were out! They were free!

"Did we do it? Are we out?" Ben asked, turning his face in her general direction.

She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, Walter came down to meet them. "It's a desert. At least two miles until the fist sign of civilisation." Her heart fell, hopes dashed for the rest she whole-heartedly needed, but what had she expected? That someone happened to live right next door to a crazed, land hungry shadow monster?

"You'd better go on ahead. Tell them we're out here."

"Princess…" the blinded man tried to say, his grip going firm.

"No. I'm not leaving you behind, so don't even try to convince me," she turned to the knight who was obviously contemplating the same thing, "We all stand a better chance of surviving if you find them."

For a moment, neither of them said anything, they just stared at each other, but then Walter barked out a laugh, smiling. "You always were stubborn." He turned and began to walk off. "Don't you die on me, all right?"

Ben laughed back, "We wouldn't give you the satisfaction."

As the old man disappeared into the distance, Milena began to lead the captain up the hill, noticing the steps protruding from the sand. "Careful. There's steps up ahead."

"Thanks for the warning," he replied, lifting his feet higher as he stepped. When his foot landed on the first, his body jolted with the shock and he groaned, but he continued on, trying to get as much distance between them and the thing that blinded him as possible.

After a few minutes, they finally reached the top of the stairs.

Milena gasped at the sight before her; rocks and sand dunes as far as the eye could see, dust clouds polluting the air. The only signs of life were Walter's disappearing footprints and what looked like an enormous statue. That must have been where Walter was heading.

"What? What is it?" Ben asked, getting worried at her reaction.

She sighed. "It's going to be a long journey."

"Didn't expect it not to be," the captain replied, "I mean, who would want to live next to a place like that?"

Sniggering, the princess continued onwards, helping him down the steps. She was glad he hadn't lost his sense of humour. Sure, it could be annoying at times, but it kept her sane. It kept them all sane.

They continued in silence, a step at a time, until they reached a ledge.

"I'm going to let go of you for a moment. Can you wait here?" she asked, slipping his arm from around her neck.

"It's not like I could go anywhere love," he replied, flashing her one of his grins.

She nodded, "I'll be back in ten seconds." Once she reached the edge, she leaned over to look at how far down it was. "Shit."

"What? Milena?"

"There's a twenty five foot drop."

Neither of them spoke for a moment, both taking in the situation, trying to see a way past it, until…

"You could make it."

Milena turned to face her friend who had collapsed to his knee. "Ben… I…"

"I'm only weighing you down, you have to go."

"Ben, please…"

"If you don't go, you might not…"

"I'm not leaving you!"

He sighed. "But what else can you do?"

His words struck home. What could she do? She had no rope to lower him, and he couldn't jump himself, his legs would break. But what…?

She blinked.

Yes, she could do that. It might work. No! It _would_ work. It had to.

She walked back to Ben's side and put a hand on his shoulder, making him turn his head towards her.

"Princess?"

"I'm sorry Ben," she breathed, "I can't leave you behind."

Taking one deep breath, she heaved him over her shoulders and jumped over the ledge.

* * *

><p>Milena's shoulder dug into his stomach as they hit the ground, winding him momentarily. He couldn't believe she did that. It was true that he didn't want to die, but he'd seen too many good men die because one couldn't let go, and he wasn't about to let the last hope of Albion die because of him.<p>

He felt his feet touch the floor, his arm once again around the princess' shoulders, and he let his weight drag him down.

Eventually, Ben realised that they were moving, the sand giving way under his feet, flying into his unprotected face. They were alive.

"Th… thank you…" he said weakly, "for not leaving me behind."

"Like I said, I won't let you go."

He smiled. Walter was right. She really was stubborn.

For the next hour, they travelled in relative silence, and he could feel himself getting steadily weaker and weaker. The wind had picked up, and just when he though it couldn't get any worse, he heard the thing he hoped he'd never hear again.

"He left you. He's gone. He's abandoned you to save himself."

"No!" he cried, covering his ears, falling to the ground, "It can't be back. It can't!"

"He abandoned you, and now the children will take you."

He was vaguely aware of the sounds of fighting, but he wasn't sure if it was real. Milena. Where was she? Had she gone against her word and left him? Would she do that? No! That was the darkness talking! She had to be there. "Milena!"

"Ben! Don't you listen to it. It's lying!" she replied, pulling on his arm again, heaving him to his feet. "Come on, we have to get through this."

They began to make their way forwards again, over the next dune, but they were continually bombarded by the shadow's tricks, slowing them down until they came to a stand still, too exhausted to go any further.

"The light in your eyes offends us."

"No! Milena, look at me. Don't let it take you."

"Let it go out!"

"Ben? Ben I… I can't… I can't…"

He held her to him, keeping her tight against him, trying to protect her with his body. "Leave her alone!" Suddenly, he felt its cold fingers take hold, pushing all the warmth of consciousness away. "Leave her… stop…"

He saw his brother's death flash before his eyes, Swift's execution… no, murder outside of the palace, every man he'd slain, every friend he'd lost, all their faces passing before his eyes. He saw Milena, her body still and lifeless in his arms, he saw the fall of Albion, the darkness annihilating everything in its path, every form of life, destroying all that he knew, all that he held precious to him. He saw how the soldiers held them back, but only for so long. With their numbers so depleted from the rebels, it just wasn't enough to hold it back.

He saw how Logan had fought against the darkness once before, but had been rescued by the people who lived here, how he'd had to make the decisions to protect the nation, even though it meant he became a tyrant. He saw how they were destroying any hope they had to survive…

… And then he saw nothing.

**AN - Duh duh duh! I can't believe how quickly I wrote this one! I must have been going at the speed of light or something! Wow! Two of the longest chapters I've ever written in as many days? What's wrong with me?**

**Anywho, I really enjoyed writing this chapter, as it was one of the parts I was looking forward to. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

**Yet again, no promises as to when the next chapter gets uploaded, and, again, I'm sorry I haven't paid much attention to my other stories lately, but I've gotten a bit too involved in this one for now!**

**Until next time!**


	4. Recovery and a Promise

**Recovery and a Promise**

"Quentin?"

"Yes Ben?"

"Why is it that you're on all those posters?"

Ben's older brother frowned at him, his tawny coloured locks drifting across his blue eyes as he put h hand on the young boy's shoulder. "What posters are those?"

He pointed at the wall, where several pieces of paper had been pinned, at least two of which had an image drawn in the likeness of the oldest surviving Finn child. Underneath the images were the words 'Obsessive Gambler' and 'Dead or Alive', but they were too far away for the young boy to read; that or, he just didn't want to.

Unfortunately, several other men had noticed this as well, along with the price attached to it.

Ben wished it were raining, so that the men couldn't see their faces, but the sun was out, and there was almost no one on the streets as it was harvest time, and most people were either making an offering to Avo or out working the fields, so there was nothing to stop them from being noticed.

When they turned, the two Finn boys were the first things they saw.

"Ben…" Quentin's grip tightened around his shoulder, causing his younger brother to cry out in pain, "We… we have to go. Now." And with that he took off at a run, pulling Ben along with him, several shouts arising behind them as the men scrambled to keep up. It was in his confusion though that Quentin took a wrong turn.

Somehow, they had managed to get themselves cornered in the only dead end in Gunk, the hamlet that the young Ben had called home for the past thirteen years, the place where he'd been born, and where he'd lost his two eldest brothers. He was _not_ about to lose another!

Drawing his gun, he filled it with the ammunition he kept in a small bag he attached to his belt and pointed it at the lead man. He smiled slightly as the man's grin wavered, but he knew it wouldn't last long. He pulled the trigger.

With a pop, a pea flew into the man's chest, bouncing harmlessly to the floor, and then another from between his eyes. He laughed. "Do you think those would do you any good boy?" he asked, slowly walking towards them.

He kept shooting, bull's-eye after bull's-eye, but no matter how many shots he fired, they were only dried peas, and it didn't do any damage; in fact, it seemed to have the opposite effect, making Quentin's pursuer that much more eager.

It didn't take long for the peas to run out.

When his pellet gun clicked, Ben felt his heart sink. He had nothing left to defend them. "No more peas Quentin." He said, unable to say anything more as the fear crept in. Here he was with a toy, a young boy who'd not gone more than a mile outside of Gunk, facing a full-grown man with many battle scars, wielding real weapons; weapons he was aiming at them.

He really was going to lose him, wasn't he.

No!

He charged at the man, raising his gun in the air so as to hit him in the head, but he was too quick, brushing him aside as though he was water, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Please! No! I can… I can pay those… I can get the money, I swear!" Quentin pleaded, but the man continued his advance, "I just need more…" He suddenly drew in a rasping breath, and Ben could see his eyes widen over the man's shoulder as he held his arm.

"Time?" He stepped back, letting the young man fall to the ground, "Should have though of that before." As he passed the shocked boy, his eyes grew sympathetic, but he didn't say anything.

"Quen… Quentin?" No reply. "Quentin? Can… can you hear me?" Slowly, Ben crawled towards his brother, hoping… praying that he was all right. Then he felt it; thick warm liquid flowing through his fingers, seeping into his trousers. "N-no. Quentin."

When he tipped his brother over, he could see the hole in his chest, just over where his heart was, a stain growing in his shirt, eyes staring blankly out at the world.

"No. Big Brother! Y-you can't leave me!" He felt the hot tears begin to flow down his cheeks as he gripped onto what was left of his brother, "No! Quentin! No!"

But it was too late. He was already dead.

* * *

><p>Milena jumped at the sudden outburst. Ben had been tossing and turning for some time now, which is why she was there, to keep him down, but this wasn't something she'd been expecting.<p>

From what Kalin, the leader of the Aurorans, had told her, it was unusual for anyone to be held down while they were in the darkness' sleep, as it usually rendered them paralysed, so speech was somewhat of a miracle.

She'd been told that Walter and Kalin had found them at the base of the stairs leading up to the city, the captain's arms wrapped firmly around her, even as he lay there no more conscious than she. When they tried to separate them, he only held onto her tighter, mumbling something about not letting it take her, and it took the Priestess almost an hour to make his body relax enough for him to release her.

Since then, she'd woken up, her eye sight as strong as ever and, though a little worse for ware, overall a 'very healthy, strong young lady', or so Walter had told her, and Ben's… fits, for lack of a better word, had begun. This was the first time he'd cried out, and it was more than a little disconcerting.

As Priestess Mara continued her work, Ben fought progressively hard against them, and hopefully, the darkness, though it was unsure if this was the case, as there were no signs to tell.

When the soldier tried to move again, Milena gulped, "Is he…?"

"Quiet. I need silence." The priestess interrupted, her eyes closed and hands busy, "I have not come across one affected in such a way before. I need to concentrate."

Closing her mouth, she looked over to Walter who was knelt next to her, holding down his legs. His face was set in an all too familiar shape; he was scared. To others, it would have looked like he was mildly worried, or even just concentrating on something, but she knew him too well.

"N-no. Swift!" Ben murmured, trying to lift his arm to reach for the unseen man.

Was that what was happening? Was he reliving the deaths of everyone he'd held dear to him? Was the darkness doing this to him, or was it something else? Could it be possible that it was his way of protecting himself?

Suddenly, his struggling ceased, and his face became calm and emotionless. Was he…?

"Ben?" She rested her hand on his shoulder, "Can you hear me?"

The priestess sighed. "He is past the worst of the affliction. He will come. He just needs time now." Milena smiled. He was going to make it! "I will stay here," the priestess continued, brow furrowing in concentration, "Although he is past the worst, I will need to guide him back, though it shouldn't be long."

"I suggest you get some rest as well," Walter said, putting a hand on her arm, "It's getting dark, so I think I might turn in for the night." Using her shoulder as support, the old man got up and walked towards the bed Kalin had given him. "I'm getting too old for this."

Milena sniggered.

She knew he was right; she had to get some rest, but she didn't want to leave Ben on his own. Then she felt a familiar body nudge her knee.

"Hey boy!" she said, stroking Tyson's coat, "I need you to do something for me." The small dog stuck out its tongue, "I need you to wake me up as soon as Ben does, okay?"

Tyson yapped in affirmation and lay down next to the unconscious man, resting his head on his paws, but his eyes continued to watch him.

Pleased that she'd solved her dilemma, she followed Walter's example and went to bed.

* * *

><p>Ben felt something wet stroking his hand. It felt… familiar, and yet he couldn't quite place it. When it happened again he moved his hand, causing whatever it was that was doing it to bark. Bark?<p>

"Tyson?"

Slowly, he opened his eyes, expecting to see nothing, but instead there was a great hairy face staring down at him, tongue hanging out of his mouth. He could see! Sure, it wasn't the best of sights, but he could see!

"I see you have returned to us."

He felt unfamiliar hands pull him up into a sitting position, Tyson jumping off of his lap as he moved. The woman he now saw beside him smiled, keeping a hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling. She was also holding a small wooden cup. "I need you to drink this."

With shaking hands, the captain took it, examining the thick liquid within. "What is it?"

"It is the juice of the sycone tree. It will give you strength."

Looking back at her for a moment, he downed it in one gulp, cringing at the bitter after taste. "Well, like my mother always used to say; 'If it doesn't taste bad, it ain't good for you!'"

The woman laughed. "Your mother must have been a wise woman."

He was about to reply when he heard groaning from somewhere to his right. Turning to face the sound, he saw Milena stirring from her slumber as Tyson nudged her with his wet nose, and Walter not too far away also beginning to toss and turn.

So they all made it. Thank Avo for that.

"Ben! You're awake!" the princess cried, jumping off of her bed and sitting down at his side, shortly followed by Walter.

The old man sniggered. "I knew you'd pull through. You're just as stubborn as she is!" he said, punching him lightly in the arm. "We thought we'd lost you for a bit there, but you came through."

He smiled. "You ain't getting rid of me that easily!"

"So it would seem."

The new voice made everyone turn to face the entrance, in which a woman stood, he head shaven and decorated in tattoos. Her eyes were kind, but Ben could see that they had known much sorrow. He knew they'd never met, and yet he knew he'd seen her before "My name is Kalin. I am the leader of the Auroran people, with whom you now reside, Ben Finn."

He frowned. Where? Where had he seen her?

"Have we met?" he asked, hoping she might be able to answer his question.

She shook her head, "No, not before now. Unless you were conscious while we brought you in. It has been known to happen."

"No…" he tried to think. What had happened? "There was something about… a promise…"

The Auroran's eyes widened. "There was a promise made, and broken, and not by you, but that was almost four years ago." She seemed to think about it for a moment before she tilted her head to the side. "Perhaps the darkness gave you a glimpse of his last near-victim's memories."

He tried to think of who it could have been, who… "Logan? The King of Albion came here?"

Milena stood, "What? My brother came here?"

Kalin turned to her. "Yes princess. He came with many men, and he watched as the darkness took them, and then nearly died himself. But he survived thanks to our care. He left with a promise," her eyes wandered back to him before returning to the princess, "That he would return with an army and save us from the Crawler. We never saw him again."

"The Crawler?" Walter asked.

"Yes. The creature you saw in the caves. It has haunted us for the past five years and taken many of my people… including my father." Her voice faded as she spoke, but then she shook herself and turned back to Milena. "You have been in the city. You have seen how the Crawler has tarnished our once great people. I ask you, for the sakes of all my people, that you do what your brother would not.

"Sir Walter has told me of your quest. Of your revolution. There are not many warriors left amongst us, but we have ships and we are willing to fight beside you. Not because your brother wronged us, nor because we thirst for revenge, but because we want protection. We require aid if we are to survive. That is the promise you must make.

"Help us rebuild Aurora, and allow it to become a true part of your kingdom. Not a colony, not a thing to be used, but a place with a voice in your court."

Milena seemed to think about this for a moment, but Ben knew she'd already decided. She took Kalin's hand in her own and smiled. "I promise."

"Then let us go to war."

The captain stared at the next queen of Albion. He hoped she knew what she was getting herself in for.

* * *

><p>"Well, we didn't exactly find the army we were hoping for, and I think Ben's probably a little worse for ware, but we're finally ready." Walter said, smiling at her as they stood on the dock, the sun beginning to rise over the horizon, "You've surpassed every hope I had for you. You're the queen Albion needs. So come on. It's time to gather your generals and prepare for battle."<p>

Milena smiled at him as he yawned. "I think maybe it would be a good time for you to take a nap."

"Balls. I didn't realise I was this tiered," he said, as the sailors pulled in the gangplank, "Perhaps it's for the best," he walked towards the stairs leading below deck, "I'll see you in a few hours then."

"Have a nice rest Walter," she replied before she went to the bow of the ship, leaning on the railing as it began to plough through the water. She was really doing it, wasn't she. She was really going to overthrow her brother. And then she was going to become queen. Was she even ready for that type of responsibility? Did she have what it took to be a fair and just ruler?

Her conversation with Theresa kept playing in her head. Like almost all of their conversations though, it had been short, succinct, and one sided. It had left her with the weight of the world on her shoulders, and hadn't made her feel any better about herself.

"Having second thoughts princess?" Ben asked as he leaned next to her.

She shook her head. "It's hard. Knowing what you have to do but not being sure if you can do it."

"And what do you have to do?"

She blinked. "You know what I have to do."

"Yeah, but do you?" Milena turned to face him. He was looking at her with concerned eyes, but it soon turned into a smile. "You think that all you've got to do is finish your revolution, become queen and keep all your promises. I'm sure there's a lot of responsibilities heaped on top of all that too, but that's the gist of it, right?"

She nodded. "And there's Logan too."

"Hmm…" the captain turned back to face the sunrise, "Look, Milena, about what your brother's been doing."

She let one of her eyebrows rise, "What? Has your survival of the Crawler suddenly brought you an insight into my brothers mind?" she laughed, fully intending it to be a joke. But he didn't join in with her mirth. "Ben?"

He didn't speak for a moment, just staring out at the waves, an unusually serious look on his face. "When…" he looked down at his hands. "When the Crawler… when it had me, it showed me… things. One of those things was when it had Logan. It told him it would come for him, for Albion, for every man, woman and child within its borders." His knuckles began to pale as his grip on the wood tightened. "Everything he did, all the wrongs he's committed against the people, they were to protect us from what he knew was coming."

"What are you saying?"

He turned to face her. "Logan kept us in the dark to protect us, to stop us from worrying. He's been trying to save us all from the Crawler and its 'children', and we've done nothing but get in the way."

Milena could feel her anger rising. "So, you're saying that we should stop? Give up? Pretend this revolution was some small dream that got lost in the wind?"

"No." he shook his head. "You need to replace him. The people need someone they can trust as a ruler; someone they would gladly stand behind."

"That still doesn't solve the problem of Logan himself."

Ben looked into her eyes. "Don't kill him."

"What? I thought you'd…"

"Want him dead? Well, what happened with Swifty… that was unforgivable, and from what you've told me about Elliot…" she let her eyes drop as she remembered the choice she'd been forced to make, how they'd dragged him away for his execution, "but it's heart breaking, losing a brother, no matter how corrupt they are." His eyes grew distant as he remembered something from his past. Perhaps that was who Quentin was, but she didn't press the matter.

She yawned.

Ben smiled. "Looks like Walter's not the only one who spent too long waiting at my bed side last night! With the revolution ready to kick off at any moment, you should get as much rest as you can."

"So should you."

"Is that and order, princess?" he grinned, his usual playfulness returning.

She smiled at him. "Yes, Captain Finn. I order you to go below deck and have at least a hundred winks!"

He made a mocking bow, "As my lady commands." And with that he left Milena alone with her thoughts.

Her many, confusing thoughts that didn't want to leave her alone. She wasn't going to get any sleep.

* * *

><p>They were all there; Sabine of the Dwellers up in the Mist Peak mountains, Kalin of the Auroran peoples, Page of the rebels in Bowerstone Industrial, and of course Walter, Milena and himself, stood around a table with a map of Albion that the rebel leader was examining. He would have made a suggestion, but he knew she knew the city better, and would more than likely come up with a better plan.<p>

"All right I've got it." Page exclaimed, moving out the way slightly so that others could see the map, "I take a small group of soldiers down this route, and blow up the West barracks," she pointed at one of the roads to the left of the city, "It will draw their attention and open up the main route."

"I want to be in the thick of the smoke and the fire and the glory," Sabine stated, waving his smoking pot-staff around to emphasise this, "If Page takes the west route, it's only fair I take the east."

"Which leaves the centre to us," Ben said, "Less chance of getting lost."

"My ships will take you to the beach here," Kalin explained, pointing at the dock just outside the main gate.

"We can expect heavy mortar fire," Walter chipped in, looking over at the future queen, "but most of Logan's soldiers will be busy dealing with Page, Sabine and their men."

"Then it's settled." Milena said before turning to face the captain, "Are you sure you're up to this Ben? Walter?"

"Who said I wasn't?"

Walter sniggered, "Oh don't you worry about us. Just because we may feel old and tiered…"

"Speak for yourself." Ben said, making the old man squint his eyes at him.

"… but the day hasn't come when we can't charge into a good old fashioned fight!" he balled his hand into a fist and held it over the table, which they all soon joined with their own, the princess putting her hand over them all, connecting them together. "Let the battle for Albion begin!"

**AN – Yet another chapter! Wow! I should really get on with my other stories…**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this one. It was kind of hard writing a serious Ben, but I think I pulled it off… just… And I was getting a little stuck by the end, but I managed to get around it.**

**No promises as to when the next chapter will come, and I should be uploading more for my others (though I have said that before…)**

**Until next time!**


	5. Viva la Revolution

**Viva la Revolution**

Milena was stood on the beach just below the main entrance to Bowerstone Old Quarter, fires burning and wreckage littered about her as a cannon ball from a mortar landed in the ground several feet away, spraying sand everywhere and almost sending Tyson flying. Fortunately though, the dog had retreated to his master's side before it had landed.

Ducking as another cannon ball landed, Ben turned to her. "Our people are getting torn to shreds out there! They need our help!" he exclaimed, his eyes glowing red in the light of the fires.

She nodded, turning to face her mentor who was stood nearby. "What do I need to do?"

Walter pointed to the top of the hill where the source of the cannon fire was coming from. "We need to take care of that mortar," he explained.

Milena's eyes widened when she saw that her route there was blocked by several outposts of her brother's elite soldiers, all of whom were ready to die for him if necessary, and ready to kill her, and her friends.

Ben seemed to notice her hesitation. "We've already lost one ship! Kalin's could be next," he said, staring deep into her eyes. "Come on!"

Walter nodded. "He's right. It's time you led from the front. We'll follow you every step of the way." The old man drew his sword to join his pistol which was already in his left hand. "Ready? Let's go." And without waiting for an answer, he charged forwards, running past their defences towards the enemy lines, shortly followed by the blond haired captain.

Drawing her own rifle, the princess ran up the hill, dodging yet another mortar shot, though one of Ben's soldiers wasn't as lucky. As soon as the first enemy came into sight, she'd fired her gun and he'd collapsed in a heap on the floor, a hole running straight through his head. She didn't have time to feel sorry for him as a bullet suddenly whizzed past her ear, forcing her to concentrate on the task ahead, though she had no doubt she'd have plenty of time to consider her actions later.

As she travelled further and further up the hill, Milena, Walter and Ben carved their way through the soldiers, leaving a path of bodies in their wake. It seemed like forever passed before they got to the next barricade, but luckily, the three of them were all unharmed.

The captain pointed up the hill to where the soldiers were coming from. "We'll never get through those gates while the mortar's there!"

Milena nodded and started to run up the road, blasting a few more soldiers to the next world with one of her fire strikes.

Suddenly, a mortar shell exploded behind her, sending her flying forwards into the mud, her eardrums popping from the pressure.

Everything sounded as though it had become ten times clearer and louder. The cries of her men as they were shot down, the explosions of the shells, the waves thrashing against the rocks, all seemed to be right next to her.

She tried to push herself off the ground and push forwards, but the ground was slippery from the blood that had been spilt, making her hand slip. Luckily though, Ben had caught up with her and hauled her to her feet before she could lose her footing.

"You alright?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

Smiling at him, she nodded, turning to face the last stages of their siege.

The elite guard had lost the mocking qualities they had so readily shared before she'd escaped to Aurora, their faces rigid and unyielding. They shouted at them, the rebels, and called her a witch for her use of magic, and a traitor, all the while firing their weapons, at them.

"We have to move," she said, continuing her advance.

The rest of the journey became a blur of gunshots and blood, and before she knew it, a keg of gunpowder had just exploded, taking the mortar with it.

"The mortar's down!" Walter shouted, causing some of the men to shout in celebration, but it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

* * *

><p>As soon as the mortar had been taken care of, Ben turned to face the sea, trying to ignore the feeling of awe he had towards the princess. It was amazing how such a young woman could take out as many men as she did.<p>

One of the ships, Kalin's by the look of it, was moving closer to the shore now that the bombardments had stopped. "The Auroran ships should be able to move closer now. Come on Kalin, do your stuff."

Moments later, there was a flash from the deck and the door that had been blocking the way exploded into splinters, showering them in small pieces of wood. Grinning, he cocked his gun. "That's my girl!"

Milena gave him a brief smile before heading through the now cleared entrance, Walter charging in after her, his pistol now at his belt.

"Let's take the fight into the city!" the old man cried as he headed towards the enemy the captain had aimed at, forcing him to change target. As soon as his sword had made the first blow, Walter laughed. "Ah! A bit of close combat. This is more like it! Recognise old Walter you hobbe botherers?"

Ben noticed he was holding his hand to his chest. "Are you alright there, Walter?"

"Hm?" he said as he continued his advance through the crowd, "Oh I'll be fine. Now let's go!" That said, he charged off, further into the fray.

Milena shook her head. "Come on, we'd better make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

They didn't talk again for the next couple of minutes, save for a few cries of encouragement, as they were too busy keeping themselves and each other alive, though Tyson appeared to be handling himself a lot better than anyone would have predicted; who knew that dog could be so vicious?

Just as they were passing the statue of a man on a saddled pig (who the hell came up with these things?) one of the buildings collapsed without any source that… oh.

"Is this not the grandest time you've ever had?" Sabine asked as he walked over the rubble with his giant of a body guard, Boulder, as he laughed, ignoring the fact that he'd just made the three of them end up having a coughing fit.

Walter sighed. "Sabine! You almost blew us up!"

"You saw?" the dweller asked, his voice filling with pride, "A glorious beacon of freedom burning in the night air for all the - "

Suddenly, the massive lump of a man next to him started moaning in what sounded like a very anxious way, cutting the old man off mid speech.

"What is it Boulder?" he asked as he looked up to where the man was staring. Whatever he saw, it mustn't have been good, because he started to scurry off as fast as he could saying; "Oh, bloody hell! Move! Move!" And with that, he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

><p>"It'll take more than a grenade to finish off that old sod," Walter said, giving the princess a reassuring smile.<p>

The ground shook as another building threatened to collapse on top of them.

"Meanwhile, let's do what he says and get moving shall we?" Ben said, grabbing Milena's hand and dragging her forwards, just as another lump of a construction crashed into the ground where she had been standing.

They passed through the newly created road with relative ease, the rubble barely blocking the way, and the guards were preoccupied by a few other members of the rebellion, so they were taken out quickly, giving the small group a moment's reprieve before moving on.

Walter turned to her, mouth open as if he was about to say something, but he raised his eyebrows and closed it again. "Hm! I don't realise you two liked each other that much!"

Milena frowned, but then realised her right hand felt incredibly warm. Looking at it, she found she was still clutching the hand of a very red looking captain. Her cheeks flushed cherry red and she pulled her arm away quickly, curling it into a fist in front of her, trying to look somewhere other than Ben's eyes.

The captain, on the other hand, didn't appear to be making any move to change his focus point, his hand still hanging motionless in the air, though his face was the same hue as her own.

Why was he standing there like that?

Walter laughed and slapped them both on the back, jolting them out of their stupor. "Come on! This revolution isn't going to win itself!"

Milena smiled, "No, but if it were up to you, you'd probably do it all by yourself! Even with that hand of yours."

The knight laughed, "You'd probably be right!"

* * *

><p>Ben walked slowly behind the smiling pair, rubbing his fingers together, savouring the feeling of Milena's hand in his. It had felt so warm, so… <em>right<em>, and yet he couldn't explain how. As shots were fired once again, he kept asking himself one question; what does it mean?

By the time they had reached the bridge, a few more rebels had joined them, so he had to push his personal thoughts to the side to face their next problem; another gate.

"I thought people were supposed to open doors for queens," he said, "Not the other way around."

"Shut up Ben," Walter retaliated, searching around for another way around.

Milena glanced at him briefly before climbing up a collapsed building. "I think I can see a way down."

Clambering up after her, the two soldiers looked down at the open plan floor of some homes. Through a gap in the wall, some movement caught his eye.

"Look, it's Page," the knight said, pointing to where Ben was looking. The rebel leader had just finished off a group of guards and was beginning to head up the road. "That girl knows how to handle herself. Come on, we're not far from the castle now. We'll meet up with her there."

They all jumped down (lucky the ground was stable enough to hold their weight) and made their way out of the burning building. Why was it that buildings always had to burn in revolutions?

As soon as they got out into the square, they came face to face with a barricade across the street and a squadron of the elite.

Of course.

"Look at that. It's almost like they're expecting us," Ben said sarcastically, making Milena giggle, which brought a smile to his own face, "Say what you want about Logan's army, they really know how to make you feel welcome."

"There's no way we're getting past that barricade," Walter stated as the first of the guards started to charge.

Ben looked around and took in his environment before taking aim. "Oh please, we're in a street. Haven't you noticed all the houses and doors?" He fired and took aim again, "We just need to perpetrate a little breaking and entering followed by some flanking and fileting."

The old man grinned. "Yes, right you are."

As the last of the loyalists were beaten, Walter pointed towards an open doorway. "Through there!"

They made a dash for the exit, narrowly dodging yet another explosion.

As soon as they got through the door, Ben realised that the rest of the house had almost disintegrated, leaving only the front standing, so they had immediate access to the road at the back… where Page was stood waiting.

"Page!" Walter exclaimed as Milena ran up to her.

"It's good to see you're alright," the princess said, earning her an appreciative smile.

"My men are taking care of the east barracks, but I couldn't leave you out here alone."

Ben grinned. "That deserves a round of applause!"

The sounds of gunfire around the corner made them all turn.

Milena pulled her hammer off of her back. "Let's get this over with then."

Together, all four of them charged around the corner, joining the already bloody battle. There were more guards here than there had been before, and there were already several men littering the floor by the time Ben fired his first shot.

Just over a minute later, they were moving up the road again, towards a very thick looking wooden gate.

"Elite soldiers my arse!" Ben exclaimed shaking his head, "I could have beaten them in my sleep!"

Walter snorted. "Be that as it may, there'll be more coming, so stay alert! We have to find a way past this gate."

Stupid…

"Always with the damn gates," he shouted, kicking it.

Page turned to Walter, "What we need are explosives. But I used mine on the way here."

Milena sighed, "Well that's a bit of a shame."

Ben smirked as a thought popped into his head. "If only we knew some sort of tiny, crazy old man who enjoyed blowing things up…"

And, as if waiting for his cue, the gate exploded, and a 'tiny, crazy old man' walked through the smoke, with his wall of a body guard by his side. "Ha ha! Did you see that, Boulder? Let the whole city bow to our thunder!"

How the hell did he…?

"Hang on. How did you get to the other side in the first place?"

Sabine tapped his nose, "Dwellers have their ways, my boy. Is there anyone left to kill?"

"There will be soon," Page exclaimed, "More troops are on the way. Kalin's fleet got a fair few, but not all."

Ben turned to face Milena. "We'll hold them off."

She looked like she was about to say something, but Sabine stepped in. "Come on, Boulder. There's more fighting to be done."

"Good luck in there," he said, smiling at her, "Hope the crown fits."

Milena smiled at him before turning to Walter. "Let's go." And with that, they ran into the castle, leaving the rest of them behind.

That was the last time he was ever going to see her as an equal, he realised. The next time, she would be the princess again… or the queen.

Another explosion brought Ben back to his present situation.

He put his left hand over his nose briefly and inhaled before running off to finish the fight, her scent clinging to him as if it belonged there…

* * *

><p>They stopped outside of the war room, where they knew Logan, her brother, was, staring up at the great wooden doors.<p>

"Shall we knock?" Walter asked, "Nah, let's surprise him."

Lifting their feet, they kicked the double doors from their hinges and they collapsed in a heap on the floor.

The room was darker than Milena had expected, but she could still see that, apart from the king himself, the room was void of anyone. Logan was stood next to a map of Albion, his sword half drawn.

"So this is how it ends. The old fool and the child who ran away," he slid his sword back into its sheath, "You've finally become the woman I always wanted you to be."

What?

"She's a lot more than that," Walter said as they started to walk towards him, Tyson in tow, "And now she's ready to take your place."

Logan… smiled? He looked almost relieved! "Perhaps the time has come for someone else to lead Albion."

Milena felt the anger inside her build. "You were never a leader. Just another tyrant."

Her brother looked down at the map, a look of shame flashing across his face. Only, it couldn't have been shame… It was Logan! He was cold. Hard hearted. Why would he be ashamed?

He looked at her. "Did it ever occur to you that I may have had good reason to be?"

She blinked.

She remembered what Ben had told her, how he understood why…

"We're not interested in your reasons," Walter said, glaring daggers at his former king.

"Cower behind ignorance if you will, but my sister deserves to know the truth."

"Save it for the trial, Logan," the knight said as he started to lead the tyrant out of the room, "You can beg for your life then."

As soon as they left, Milena shrunk to her knees.

None of it made any sense!

Logan was a tyrant, a murderer, a cold hearted ruler, but everything Ben had told her…

Oh why couldn't it all just go away!

Covering her face with her hands, she let her tears fall silently, the scent of an obnoxious captain enveloping her in its warm protection.

**AN - Haha! I know it's been ages, but I've only just finished my exams, so don't hate me... please?**

**Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm not very good at establishing romance in a story, so I hope this is okay...**

**I found it really hard writing this chapter. It's really hard getting back into a story you haven't touched for a while, but I've had some help #cough# Well I Don't Mind #cough#. Think I might have to play the game again to get it back in my head...**

**Sorry it took me so long to upload another chapter, but I hope the next one will be sooner in coming!**


	6. Coronation Celebration

**Coronation Celebration**

"Logan, please don't go!" Milena begged, holding onto his arm, "You promised you'd stay! And it's my birthday next month! What if you don't get back in time?"

The king laughed and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Don't worry. I wouldn't miss it for the world," he kissed her on the forehead and poked her nose, just as he always did when they were children, "A young lady only turns sixteen once, right?"

She giggled.

Looking over his shoulder, the young princess saw the group of soldiers her brother was taking as his guard. She recognised some of them from his previous adventures, though their names escaped her, and she trusted them with all her heart, but there was something inside her that was telling her that Logan wasn't going to be able to keep his promise.

"Why can't this expedition wait until _after _my birthday?" she asked, resting her cheek against his chest.

He tightened his grip around her. "Too many people have disappeared after travelling over to Aurora within the past year. If I put it off much longer, I might end up having a rebellion on my hands! And who knows, there might even be a few people living over there!"

Milena's eyes lit up. "Like in the Mistpeak mountains?"

The king laughed. "Yes, like in the Mistpeak mountains. But how am I supposed to find them with you holding onto me like this?"

Squeezing him tight for the last time, she released him, running back to the top of the stairs before she could change her mind, turning back to see her brother waving goodbye, a wide smile on his lips.

Little did she know it would be the last time king Logan would smile for almost four years…

* * *

><p>Milena woke with a start, the memory of her brother, the brother she'd had before he'd left for Aurora, the one that had missed her birthday, weighing heavily on her mind. Could he ever be like that again, or had the Crawler taken that away from him? And what would happen to Ben? He'd been affected by the darkness too. Would he end up like Logan had?<p>

Shaking her head, she rid her mind of such thoughts, reminding herself what day it was.

Today was the day she became the queen of Albion.

It had been a week since Logan had been overthrown, and once the remainder of his army had been rounded up, the castle had been in a state of chaos.

Who knew that so much had to happen in order for the coronation to take place?

First, all the invitations had to be written and sent to all the respectable families, then the castle had to be cleaned, the crown polished, guards chosen and inspected, music prepared for the ball that would happen afterwards…

Well, now it was all finished with, and the grand finale was about to begin.

Pulling herself out of her large, soft bed, she made her way over to the chair where one of the maids had lain out the outfit she was to wear that day.

After the first morning, where a servant had arrived to pick out her clothes, Milena had made sure that, unless it was for special occasions, such as today, then she would have free reign over what she wore, no matter what anyone else said. Of course, that had upset a number of the staff, something about going against tradition or something, but she wouldn't allow other people to dress her up like some kind of doll!

However, she had to admit, this outfit wasn't so bad, though the fir did seem a little much.

Just as she was pulling on her boots, a quiet knock came from the door.

"Come in."

Slowly, the left door swung open and Walter entered the room, carrying an apple in his free hand, several bandages winding their way around his fingers.

Unsurprisingly, the rebellion had done nothing to improve the condition of the knight's hand. In fact, he had been told not to use it for a few days as soon as the doctors had had a look at it, and he had found those few days almost unbearable, but now it was strong enough for him to perform his task.

"Good morning, you majesty," he greeted her with a curt bow, smiling at her, "Are you ready?"

She smiled at him. "My stomach's decided to go to sea, but other than that…"

The knight laughed. "Here, eat this," he threw the apple at her, which she caught in her gloved hands, "It might help it to settle."

"Thanks Walter," she said, taking a bite out of it.

"Bah! Don't mention it," he replied, taking a seat on the chaise longue next to the window.

They sat there, in a comfortable silence for the remainder of the existence of the apple, which was indeed helping Milena's stomach to settle, but as soon as she'd finished, they had to leave.

The crowd awaited them.

* * *

><p>Ben Finn had never seen so many people gathered in one place in his entire life! Everyone who was anyone, and everyone who wasn't, had turned up, waving flags in the air and cheering like there was no tomorrow.<p>

Standing just outside the entrance of the castle was not something he had been expecting to do, and so he'd made a bit of an effort in his appearance.

His uniform had been washed, his shoes de-mudified (there was no way they would ever be able to shine again) and his weapons… well, they were always clean, so he just ended up polishing them a little. He'd even had a bath! He hadn't bathed in… ever! But Walter had insisted, so…

He moved his weight onto his right foot, his left having gone numb from standing on it for too long.

When was she going to…?

The doors swung open and the cheers turned into a roar.

Sir Walter and Jasper, a man he had met only a few days before, walked over to the edge of the balcony, the knight, picking up the crown that a young boy was holding on a red velvet pillow.

And there she was.

Milena seemed to almost float across the floor, her movements as graceful as a swan's. She seemed to glow in the radiance of the bright sunlight as she stood, proud and tall in front of her loyal subjects.

As she passed him, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He smiled at her and raised his fist; a quiet sign of victory. She returned the smile and continued on her way, stopping in front of Walter, who raised the crown over her head.

Slowly, he lowered it down, placing it where it belonged, and turned to face the crowd. "All hail, the Queen of Albion!"

The people cheered their approval as the trumpets blared.

The newly crowned Queen remained on the balcony for almost ten minutes before she was finally ushered inside by one of her many servants, away to the next part of the ceremony, the part he'd been dreading since he's heard about it; the ball.

Ben could never really understand such formalities, and didn't have much of a taste for them. As a result, he'd never attended one, and hadn't been planning on doing so for as long as he lived, but now he was the highest ranking officer in the Swift brigade (don't think about it), he had no choice but to go.

Avo save him. He didn't even know how to dance!

At least… not in that fancy pants kind of way.

As he made his way inside, he couldn't help but think of the nightmare he'd had the previous night; dancing with some faceless woman (with and _amazing_ body), but he was always falling over his own feet, and everyone was laughing at him. Laughing and pointing. Even Walter and Milena.

He was going to make sure nothing like that happened and stay away from the dance floor, chat up some of the women maybe, or just try out some of the hors d'oeuvres or whatever they were called. Either way, he was going to make sure he wasn't going to dance.

* * *

><p>Milena was let away, back to her room, where a maid was still laying out her gown.<p>

It was a deep red, the neck line low enough to show her breast, but high enough to keep too much cleavage from showing. The arms puffed out at the shoulders and stopped mid-way down her upper arm, the gloves silken and long, almost meeting the sleeves, their darker hew covering the signs of her gauntlets. The skirt of the dress was long enough to meet the floor, so she would be able to keep her boots on (she hated heels).

Overall, it was quite a nice dress. Not exactly one she'd wear if given the choice, but she didn't have one, so she put it on without a fuss.

Once she'd finished changing, two bizarrely dressed women entered, their faces caked in make-up, stating that they were to 'make her pretty'.

They started with her hair. They combed it, brushed it, sprayed it with horrid smelling perfume and tied it up in an oddly neat bun, leaving a bang to hang slightly over her face. When they came to her face though, Milena made them stop.

If what their idea of 'pretty' is a face caked in prosthetics, then there was no way she was going to let them touch her!

After she finally managed to get them to leave, she collapsed on her bed, careful to make sure her hair remained intact.

Oh for the day to be over already.

Sighing, the Queen heaved herself to her feet, took a deep breath, put on a smile, and made her way to the ball room.

As soon as the doors opened, she felt her heart jump into her throat.

"Queen Milena, the monarch and ruler of Albion!" the herald cried, bringing everyone's attention towards her. Every… single…

Oh... Avo protect her…

One step at a time, Milena made her way through the now silent room, hundreds of unfamiliar eyes following her. She could hear the whispers of some of the younger members of the bourgeoisie, though those voices were soon silenced by their parents. It was only when she was in the centre of the crowd that she recognised anyone.

Walter stepped forwards, holding his arm out for her to hold. Smiling, she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, and let him lead her towards the centre of the room, where a large space had been left.

Suddenly, an orchestra struck its first notes, and Walter separated himself from her, stepping in front of her, giving her a low bow.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked, holding out his good hand.

Milena smiled. "Walter, nothing would please me more."

* * *

><p>It was a waltz.<p>

At least he thought it was.

One two three, one two three…

Yeah, definitely a waltz.

And the princess looked _beautiful_.

…Queen… right, yes, of course.

For some reason, Ben had found himself keeping out of the way of the pretty, buxom women that had tried to surround him, which was decidedly out of character for him, and was currently leaning against the wall next to one of the many windows, nibbling on what looked like a cake, but tasted like mashed potatoes and carrots. Was there anything that wasn't deceiving in Milena's world?

It had been a few hours since the ball had begun, and the sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows into the hall, though the candles and chandeliers were keeping the room well lit.

Looking out of the window, he could see some of the servants dancing in the garden, bright smiles on their faces.

Now that was where he belonged, not in here with the people he had despised for almost his entire life. He longed to be with outside, in the safety of the shadows, far from the scrutinising eyes of propriety.

As the music came to a stop, a light applause filled the room before the next dance began, and the floor began to fill up with dancing couples.

Moving closer to the windows, Ben looked out over the city. In some parts, the firs were still burning, and in others, families were searching for a place to stay for the night. It didn't seem right that he'd helped cause their poverty, and yet he stood in luxury.

He tilted his head slightly as he heard the familiar sound of boots scuffing the ground.

"It's horrible, isn't it."

He looked over at the princess briefly before returning his attention to the city. "It's the results of our actions. No matter what we would have done, there would always have been casualties."

Milena nodded silently and looked out of her castle, her face frowning in deep thought.

Moments later, she shook her head and turned to the captain. "On a lighter note, I haven't seen you on the dance floor yet."

Ben smirked, looking down at his feet. "I… Well, it's not that I don't want to, it's just… well, you see…"

She nodded. "I see."

They stood there for a moment, staring into the nothingness between them, until Milena seemed to make a decision.

Taking his hand in hers, she smiled. "I'll teach you!"

"What? No, princess, I…"

It was too late. Her mind was made up. And as he had learnt in the deserts of Aurora, once her mind had settled on an idea, she wouldn't let it go. Stubborn woman…

She pulled him through the remaining aristocrats that were in the middle of their dance and found a space on the floor, pulling his left hand down onto her waist and his right into her own about level with their shoulders as she put her left hand on his shoulder. He could feel his himself blushing as the blood rushed to his cheeks.

"Now, you step forwards with your left foot…"

He looked down at his feet, trying to follow her movements, but the dress made it impossible to see where she was going.

He stepped on her skirt.

"Sorry!"

She laughed. "I don't like it that much either."

He smirked, but kept his eyes down. Where do I go next?

Ben stepped forwards as she did, and he ended up stepping on her foot. He tried to let go of her. It was all going wrong. Just like he knew it would.

"Ben, look at me."

He followed the order, and found himself staring into the face of a happy woman.

"That's why I wore my boots."

He smirked. "I thought Queens only wore soft shoes. With high heels."

"Then you don't know very many Queens then, do you," she pulled his hands back into position, "This time, I want you to watch me, not my feet. Let ,e guide you."

He nodded again, resisting the urge to look down.

"Okay, left… right… right…"

Ben let her guide him with her hands, pulling him this way and that, following her instructions as she said them. To say the rest of the dance went off without a hitch would be lying. There were a few more stumbles, an almost collapse or two, but by the time it had finished, they were both smiling and standing.

Bowing to his dance partner as she curtsied, the captain reflected on how well it had gone.

No one was laughing, or pointing, and he had finished the dance without too many accidents. And… it had been fun.

"Well, captain Benjamin Finn of the Swift brigade riffles, I think we'll make a dancer of you yet," Milena said, turning away before the next dance began.

He grinned. "We'll see, princess. We'll see."

**AN - Huzzah! Another chapter!**

**I was kind of hoping to finish it a bit sooner, but I got a little caught up in playing the game. It's so hard trying to make about eight million gold! It takes forever!**

**Well, here it is! I hope you like it. I've started the next chapter, but I don't know when it'll be finished.**

**Until next time!**


	7. Decisions Made, Confessions Given

**Decisions Made, Confessions Given**

The throne room was packed. Everyone wanted to see Logan's trial, and almost everyone wanted the same outcome.

But did she?

Milena hadn't been able to sleep after the ball, the trial having been placed as the first thing to do after the celebrations, which would, of course, be the next morning. She had lain on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for the night to end, listening to the ticking of the clock on her mantelpiece as she let her mind mull over the decision she would have to make.

When morning had finally dawned, she was already fully dressed and pacing at the foot of her bed. It wasn't until around nine that someone came to escort her to her throne, by which time she was practically gnawing her fingers off from her nerves.

When she had entered, everyone was already waiting for her; Walter, Page, Sabine, Kalin, Ben… and Logan.

As she sat down, a guard drew the rope across the gap which she had entered through, sealing off her exit, and Walter moved to stand in front of her brother.

"Logan, former king of Albion," he said, making his voice loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "you stand accused today of crimes against the kingdom and its people. Those who brought you to justice will now speak."

Sabine wasted no time to speak his mind, stepping forward even as the knight was still talking, "There's not a soul in the kingdom who hasn't suffered for his glory. And plenty who have died for it," the dweller king turned to face her, "I says, let him have some death of his own!"

A cheer started to rise up from the crowd.

"But aren't we better than that?" Page asked, moving into Milena's view, "Isn't that why we fought to be here now? I've seen what Logan has done to this city. People starving to death, children forced to work… but killing him now won't solve anything."

A murmur replaced the cheers, one or two booing and hissing the rebel leader's words.

Kalin moved next to her, constantly casting deadly looks at the man at the foot of the stairs. "It is not my place to decide his fate. But his betrayal condemned many of my people to death. He promised us salvation and he left us to face the darkness alone."

Several people gasped, though most just whispered to one another, not entirely sure how to act from what the Auroran leader had said. Even though everyone in the kingdom had been told of this threat, they still didn't… couldn't understand how powerful it was.

"I had good reason to break that promise," Logan argued, "And had good reason for the crimes you claim I committed. The day I returned to Albion, I received a visit from a blind seer. Theresa, our mother's guide."

What? How could this be? Had she lied to her? Had she been the reason why her brother had changed so much?

"She showed me the future of this kingdom: the darkness in Aurora is coming here, bringing death, destruction, the end to our way of life. The sacrifices I had to make. I did them to protect Albion. If a few had to suffer, it was to build an army. If a few had to die, it was to save a country."

Milena looked over to the captain on her right, remembering what he had told her. _Everything he did, all the wrongs he's committed against the people, they were to protect us from what he knew was coming_.

Ben looked as though he wasn't entirely there, his eyes unfocused and his brow furrowed, but as soon as Logan started talking again, he blinked, and it was as if it had never happened.

Milena couldn't help but wonder where he'd gone for those brief moments.

"I have spent years preparing for this attack. Let me stand by your side now and all my soldiers will be yours to command. Let us face the coming darkness together."

The room fell silent at his final words.

Leaning back, she pressed her hands together and touched her mouth with the tips of her fingers.

There was still one person who hadn't spoken though.

"Captain Finn," she said, turning to face him, "what is your verdict?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "He's your brother…"

To others, that might have sounded like he didn't care, or that he didn't want to interfere with her judgement. But to Milena, those three words reminded her of the loss that had shown in his eyes as he'd spoken to her on the ship, of the value of the bond between siblings, of the brother she once cherished and adored.

"You have the power over life and death, sister. Now choose." Using those words that had haunted her for so many nights, the words that had condemned Elliot to death, Logan gave her his consent and acceptance of her decision, whatever it may be.

Closing her eyes, she blocked out all the outside distractions, and made her choice.

* * *

><p>As the Queen stood, Ben could see her release a deep breath.<p>

It didn't really surprise him. A decision like this could break your average man, and yet she had to make it within a few minutes.

The crowd became silent as they waited for her answer.

"This is not the time for revenge," she said, "We need your help, Logan."

The captain supressed a smile as Walter proclaimed that her decision had been made, the look of pride and relief of Logan's features already upsetting the rabble that were threatening to jump over the rope.

As the two siblings moved out of the room, speaking quietly to one another, Ben glanced at the others stood with him.

Neither Sabine nor Kalin looked overly happy at the prospects of having to work with the man who had wronged them, but Page and Walter looked pleased, almost proud, of the decision the Queen had made.

After most of the audience had filtered out of the room, Ben slipped through the door and escaped to the garden, wanting to breathe fresh air before he was dragged off somewhere by someone or other.

The way there was relatively empty, only a servant or two dusting a suit of armour or polishing a table. As he exited the building, the guards at the door stood to attention, and he inhaled the fresh, clean air.

He could get used to this.

Once he'd reached the bottom of the stairs, he paused, taking in his new environment.

The garden had surprisingly not been neglected in Logan's rule, all of the bushes carefully sculpted and formed to make the perfect shapes, the flower beds only held the flowers they were supposed to hold, and the structures were not over-ridden by moss. But there was one building that caught his attention the most.

Right in the centre of the garden, a large structure rose out of the ground, its domed roof luring him in. The closer he got, the more he realised what this place was; a tomb.

Ben could remember the day when the news of the previous Hero Queen's untimely death had reached Gunk. Her husband had died of an illness that had struck the country some years before, but the Queen had lost her life from sheer exhaustion. Right until the end, she was always fighting for her people in one way or another, constantly travelling across the land when word reached her of troubled places, but she would always return for her children, spending every waking moment with them when she was home.

It had been a blow to Albion when she died, and Logan, barely seventeen years old, was forced to sit on the throne, Milena still only a child who hadn't even celebrated her tenth birthday.

Since that day, just over a decade ago, so much had happened, and she was no longer that young girl, mourning for the loss of her parents. And he was no longer a shop boy, mourning the loss of his family. No. Milena was the Queen of Albion, and Ben was the captain of the Swift brigade in the Imperial army. They had duties to perform, and responsibilities to take care of.

"Um… Captain?"

Blinking, Ben removed himself from his thoughts and turned to find a guard stood looking expectantly at him.

He coughed. "Yes?"

"The Queen would like you in the war room sir," the guard said, standing to attention.

The captain nodded, "Thanks. I'll be there in a jiffy."

As the guard led the way, he couldn't help but wonder why she would want to see him.

* * *

><p>Milena was studying the map on the table when the Ben arrived. All the other leaders were already stood waiting for her to speak, even Logan was there, much to some of the others' disgust, but she needed everyone there before she told them of what Theresa had shown her. She could still see the oily darkness that had consumed Albion in her mind.<p>

Sighing, she pulled herself up straight and looked at each of the faces around her.

"I have been visited by Theresa," she explained, "and she has told me that what my brother says is true. The darkness is coming to Albion."

Kalin frowned, "But how is this possible? It can only travel at night."

Milena shook her head, "And yet it was able to black out the sun when Ben and I had to travel through your desert to escape it. No. It has grown stronger than any of us could have imagined. It will be here in a year, and there is no way we can stop it."

Logan glanced at Ben briefly, a curious frown on his face, before turning back to his sister, "If that is how much time we have then the army needs to be ready."

"It would cost a lot of money to find the resources we need," Walter explained.

Milena nodded. "I will find a way to make sure the treasury remains full," she looked at the people she had come to call friends, "I know that in order to keep the promises I made to you, it will make my task even harder, but I do not intend to break my word."

They smiled at her, but remained silent.

"I will need your help during the coming months," she continued, "and I only hope that we will be ready for the dangers that we will face."

"My people will try to help in any way that they can, your majesty," Kalin said with a bow.

Sabine's staff struck the ground, "Aye. As long as you keep your promise to us, we will try to help you to protect your kingdom."

"We will do whatever it takes to keep this country safe, your majesty," Page swore, crossing her arms.

Ben nodded. "Whatever it takes."

Milena smiled. As long as she had these people behind her, there was no way she could possibly fail.

* * *

><p>So the final battle was within sight, but was it too close to da anything about?<p>

Ben stared up into the night sky as he leaned on the banister overlooking the city, the stars blinking innocently down at him. Had he not experienced what the darkness could do himself, it would have been inconceivably to imagine what the Crawler would do, but as it was, that creature had taken him into the very depths of its darkness, had seen into the very depths of his soul and left its mark.

Even if he didn't show it on the surface, he was a changed man. He could feel it inside of him, and he was afraid to go to sleep at night, for fear of what it would show him in his dreams.

It terrified him to think that what had happened to him could happen to every single person in Albion, every man, woman and child, stuck in a place of nightmares, unable to run or cry for help.

"May I join you?"

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he turned to find Logan stood next to his parents' tomb.

This sort of thing seemed to be happening a lot recently. He really ought to do something about it.

"Sure."

Logan moved to stand next to him, keeping his hands behind his back and his back straight, keeping the air of nobility about him.

For a while, they stood in silence, just looking out at the landscape before them; the lights of the lamps, the smoke from Reaver's industrial towers, the dark line of the river that ran through it, almost splitting it in two.

"When Milena said both of you travelled through the desert…?"

Ben nodded. He had a right to know. "When we arrived in Aurora, we were on the wrong side of the Crawler's cave. We had to go through it to find Kalin and her people, though we had no idea what was inside."

Logan glanced at him, "What happened?"

The captain looked up at the sky again, thinking back to that day. "At first nothing happened. We got through quite a bit of the place before… _it_ started to taunt us, sending wave after wave of its 'children' at us. I thought Walter drove it away but…"

"It was just waiting."

Ben let his head drop and his eyes close. "I'd fallen behind a bit, and Milena had jumped down from a small ridge, but Walter was making a run up. I could see it, right behind him, and…" He stopped, afraid to live through those memories again, but Logan took it the wrong way.

"It took him?"

Ben shook his head. "When it attacked you, it touched your soul, didn't it," the other man nodded, "When I pushed Walter over the edge, it took me instead. But it didn't just give me a 'once over', it swallowed me whole. It stole my sight, showed me things, used me to lure Milena in…"

Logan's eyes widened and he took an involuntary step away, making the soldier smirk.

"After we escaped, it almost took her too, but I wouldn't let it. I've had nightmares almost every night since Kalin and the Auroran priestess took what they could out of me. But I can still feel it. It's still inside me somewhere, hiding, waiting to catch me off guard."

Sighing, he stood up straight and looked Logan in the eye. "Just because the Queen loves you enough to keep you alive, it doesn't mean she doesn't hate you. Help her as much as you can, but don't press your ideas down her throat. She's decided to keep her promises, and she will keep them. I'm sure you know how stubborn she is," Logan smiled, confirming this, "Just… be her brother."

With that, he turned and walked back towards the castle, wondering why he'd told him all of this, why he'd defended Milena like that, and hoped that his dreams wouldn't be plagued by the darkness again.

**AN - I wasn't too sure about this chapter when I started it, but it all turned out okay in the end...**

**For anyone who doesn't understand the whole 'he's your brother' thing, have a look at chapter 4.**

**The next few chapters should be interesting to write, and it might take me a little longer than these past few to upload, so don't expect anything soon (unless I end up writing furiously for the next few hours...).**

**Until next time! (which will hopefully be soon!)**


	8. Tempers, Money and Ideas

**Tempers, Money and Ideas**

During the few weeks following the coronation, each day was an endless tale of work and judgements. After discovering how much time she had before the Crawler invaded her kingdom, Milena had gone into overdrive.

Luckily, she already owned many buildings in Bowerstone Market and the Millfields area, so she had plenty of rent coming in, but it wasn't enough to keep the Treasury from bankruptcy. Already, there was barely over four hundred thousand gold coins within the room she had kept special guard over and Hobson, her 'new personal guide' who seemed to have no moral value unless it were to gain money, was getting continuously frustrated.

After lowering the taxes, opening a school and rebuilding the Bowerstone Old Quarter, the Treasury had an a million gold hole in it, and she had to find money. Fast.

Giving up everything she already had from her own pocket and scrounging around for unpaid rent just about got her in the black, and the work she'd been doing in the local blacksmith's had raised another two hundred thousand or so, but it was with the help from some sizeable donations from some 'concerned citizens' sources that had got them floating.

She was angry. Angry at the world for resting on her shoulders, hoping she would do everything for it. And it was bloody heavy!

It was the last day of the working week, so there would be no more work during the next two days, only searching around for another source of money. It was usual for Milena to stay behind late on these days, and the blacksmith didn't question her.

He always payed her a fair wage, which would come as a lump sum at the end of the week, and treated her like any of his other employees when she was next to the anvil. Every week he would wish her luck, and every week the other workers would give her their tips, refusing to listen to her when she told them she couldn't.

This week had been no different.

As she entered the castle, bag in hand and dog in tow, Hobson ran up to her.

"Well?" he asked, glancing at the bag, "How much?"

Milena heaved it over her shoulder and made her way to the treasury, "One hundred and… seventy five… thousand." She dropped the bag on the floor and let the coins spill out onto the floor.

Hobson nodded. "That's more than last week."

"I made more swords than last week," she said, "I'm getting quicker."

"I see," he started to count them, "And the rent came in this morning. Another fifty thousand," he was about to say something, but he hesitated.

She frowned. "What?"

The 'guide' stood and coughed. "Your majesty," Avo. It was never something she liked when he started like that, "Why not raise the rent?"

The question hung in the air, a tense silence hanging about them.

"No."

"But, your majesty, it would-"

"I said, no, Hobson!"

The old man froze, his eyes wide in fear, before lowering them to the ground in shame. "Yes… yes of course your majesty. I don't know what I was thinking."

Staring at him for another few moments, Milena huffed and headed up the stairs, nodding to the guard, Tom, that had been looking after Tyson as she passed him.

As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Hobson was trying to help, even though it was going against everything she stood for. The fact that he kept trying to persuade her to change her mind only made her hate him more. She wasn't going to change it! Didn't he understand that?

After entering her room, she slammed the door behind her, Tyson just barely managing to squeeze through before it shut. How was she going to raise enough money to keep her people happy _and_ save Albion for almost certain doom? How? How!

Shouting her frustration at the ceiling, she grabbed a china bowl and raised it above her head, ready to throw it to the ground.

It was at that moment that she realised her stupidity.

Lowering the bowl back onto the table she had picked it up from, Milena sighed, letting her rage drain out of her.

"I'm sorry Tyson," she said quietly, rubbing behind the dog's ear, "I'm just a bit stressed at the moment."

Tyson yipped his forgiveness and licked her hand. She smiled at him.

As she lay down for the night, neglecting her dinner once again, too exhausted to do anything but sleep, she raised her hand, wishing she had someone to hold it and guide her. Like that night when Ben had pulled her through the revolution…

* * *

><p>He'd been thinking about her again. No matter how hard he tried, or what he did, she always ended up in his thoughts again. The princess. The Queen. Milena.<p>

Ben had taken to sleeping during the day, not trusting the night to gift him with pleasant dreams. The sunlight kept the nightmares at bay, or at least gave him only a diluted version of their original ferocity. He knew that if he had these nightmares, then his focus would be lost, and he wouldn't be able to work to the best of his abilities.

There were, of course, days where he had to stay awake, having to recruit new soldiers or have a meeting with the men in charge of the training. These days he forced himself to sleep at night. It was also during these days that he found himself with a greater temper than usual.

Just last week he'd ended up terrifying a young lad because he'd accidentally kicked a ball at him…

He started to pace, trying to get his mind back to the problem in hand.

How could he help the Queen to keep the kingdom to stay afloat?

With the wages he was being paid, though considerably more than what they had once been, there wasn't much room left for donations. It had to be big. Really big. But what?

Not for the first time, he considered the option of robbing some of those who were better-off in Millfields…

_No! That's not you thinking Ben_, he scolded himself, _Don't you listen to it! Don't give in!_

He sat down on the stairs, pushing those thoughts away, trying to focus on the more decent and honest ways of finding money for the kingdom.

Bodyguard?

No. He already had a job to do, and he couldn't shirk those responsibilities.

He could always try some stand up in the local tavern like he used to. But there wasn't much money in that kind of business.

Gambling was too risky.

Asking would just get him kicked out of a lot of places.

Bounty hunting… Hm…

Of all the ideas he could come up with, it was that and treasure hunting that stuck, both being idealistic when it came to time and money. Even then, it was possible that he would have to be away for days at a time, and finding these treasures in a good state was improbable, but there weren't many other options.

Standing, he knew what he had to do. For Milena. For Albion.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, 'he's gone'?"<p>

The soldier in front of her spluttered, trying to find a way to explain himself without angering his Queen further, "I um… Well, you see… He wasn't… He must've left in the night and…"

"Did he say where he might be going?" Milena asked, trying to get her temper under control.

The man shook his head, "The captain… he doesn't talk to the men so much anymore. He's usually keeping to himself in his room. The only time any of us ever see him is at night."

She frowned. That wasn't like him. Ben should have been walking round, mingling with his men, bold as brass. Not hiding in the shadows! What's happened to him? "Does anyone have any idea where he might have gone?"

"Well, um… Some of the men said they saw him heading towards the Mistpeak mountains, but they thought he was just going out for a walk. He does that quite a lot these days, you see."

Milena bit back her anger as she felt the need to hit something grow. "Thank you, lieutenant," she said, her voice cold, "you may leave."

Bowing, the soldier marched out of the room hastily, trying to get away from her as quickly as possible.

As soon as the throne room doors closed, she walked over to one of the candle stands and threw it half way across the room, sending a satisfying crash through the room as it hit the carpeted stone floor.

"Why doesn't anyone tell me anything?" she asked the air, "Why is it that I have to be kept in the dark about my _own_ captain's behavioural changes? What good can I do if I don't even have that small piece of information?"

"Did you ever consider the fact that they might be doing it to protect you?" Walter asked, stepping forwards from beside the throne where he'd been standing throughout the entire ordeal.

She glared at him. "Why would I need protecting? Do I look like I need protecting?"

He gave her a small smile. "Yes. Yes you do."

Milena felt her mouth open, but her words became stuck in her throat, so she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You already have so much to worry about," the knight continued, "They just want to keep as much stress off your shoulders as they can. It's true that the situation with Ben is worrying, but he's a grown man. And you're a grown woman." He paused, looking her up and down, "Though you're not exactly acting like one at the moment."

She smirked, unfolding her arms, "I suppose not. But I am a… _little_ stressed at the moment," she said, raising her hand and moving her thumb and forefinger close together to demonstrate how stressed she was.

Walter laughed. "I think you need a break, your majesty."

Milena let her shoulders slouch, "Not you too! Can't I have just one person who doesn't always address me by my title?"

He laughed all the harder and slapped her on the back, making her step forwards to catch herself. "Go on! Have another adventure! Search for 'your own captain' if you want. I'll take care of things around here."

She blushed, realising that she had actually said those words, "Thanks Walter. You don't know what this means to me."

"Well, I've got a bit of a soft spot when it comes to you. Now be off with you! You've got a captain to find."

* * *

><p>It had been many years since Ben had been in Brightwall's Library, its musty smell bringing up old memories of when he once worked there after his father had died, stacking books on the shelves and reading a few when Samuel, the head Librarian, gave him an hour or so as a break.<p>

Of course, that old man was still here, talking about the good old days where the previous Hero Queen had allowed anyone to use the 'Academy' as he called it. Or at least, that was what the town's folk had told him. At that point in time, he was still stood just inside the doors, hoping that his previous employer was here.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the mess of an entrance hallway and made his way over to the desk. When he found that no one was behind it, he frowned.

Even after Logan had closed the Library down, Samuel had always remained with his precious books. The fact that he wasn't here wasn't a good…

The sound of a page turning distracted him from his thoughts.

"Hello?"

Someone coughed from the room to the right of the foyer. "The library is closed. We don't serve drinks or sell chicken feed. If you plan on buying either of these items, I would suggest going to the 'Ye Quill and Quandary' Tavern, or one of the many traders you'll find by the entrance of the village."

Ben smirked and followed the familiar voice up the stairs.

When he reached the top, he found the person he'd been looking for with his nose half buried in a rather decrepit looking book, sitting on a bench next to a fountain (who in their right mind would put a fountain in the middle of a library?).

He cleared his throat.

Samuel drew his eyes up from the page, glasses perched precariously on his nose, "Ben?" he asked, carefully closing the book, leaving a small piece of ribbon in his page, "Benjamin Finn?"

He grinned, "Long time no see, hey?"

Standing up, the librarian removed his glasses and beheld his once favourite employee. "I haven't seen you in here since… since…"

"Since I left for Bowerstone," he supplied, earning him a smile.

"You're luck's changed since then I've noticed."

"Yes well, it had to get a whole lot worse before it got better Sammy," Ben replied, slapping him on the arm.

Samuel cringed, rubbing the arm in pain, but his smile remained, "I see you've gotten stronger too!"

The captain laughed, "Well that's what you get after joining the army!"

"Ah, I heard about that. I think I still have your wanted poster somewhere…" he said, frowning slightly, "Captain, wasn't it?"

"Last time I checked anyway," he replied with a chuckle, "And what are you doing with my poster? If I didn't know you, I'd say you had some kind of fetish of me or something!"

"Nonsense! Am I not allowed to want to know about what my once employees are up to? And congratulations my dear boy! You really have come a long way since we last spoke," he moved to one of the many book stands around the room and placed his novel there carefully. "I think you'd like that one. It's kind of an adventure tale, only you're the one who decides where the story goes."

Ben simply nodded. _Come on Ben! Are you going to ask him or not?_

Samuel seemed to notice his thoughts playing on his face, "Is there something on your mind?"

Sighing, the blond haired man sat down heavily on the same bench he'd found the librarian, "I suppose you've heard about the situation the kingdom's in at the moment?"

He nodded, his face turning sombre.

"Well, I think I might have an idea about how to prevent the worst from happening. But I'm going to need your help."

**AN - Mwahahahaha!**

**What's Ben idea? Will Milena find him? What will she say if she does? Well you'll just have to wait and see! :P**

**Ooo! What shall I write next...**

**Hope you guys like this chapter. It took a while to figure out where it was going, but I finally got it as good as I think it's going to get.**

**Until next time!**


	9. Nightmares and a Dream Come True

**Nightmares and a Dream Come True**

Brightwall Academy was the last place Milena was expecting to find her lost captain.

… And the fact that she was calling him that was slightly unnerving, yet oddly fitting.

Each person she'd asked had told her that he'd gone there the previous night and hadn't come out since. Some people were worried, but most thought it was only natural.

"It's been eight years since he was last in there."

Milena frowned. "He's been here before?"

"Oh yes!" the villager exclaimed, "He used to work here, saving up his coins to go on those adventures he was always dreaming about." The woman smiled, "He's grown into a fine young man that one has. I've never known a soldier to be so polite! And handsome too! What I would give to be held by those strong arms of his…"

Milena blushed as she remembered how he'd protected her in Aurora. "Um… yes… uh, thanks. Thank you very much. I'll uh… bye!"

She ran up the hill to escape those curious eyes, trying to think of anything except the way she felt safe in his…

Stop it! You're angry at him. Remember? He left without so much as a 'by your leave' and he's spending his time reading books and playing catch up with the locals!

As he passed the fountain, she paused to straighten her clothes and pull her long, chestnut hair back behind her ears, and opened the doors.

The numerous candles around the various book shelves made the place look eerie in the night's light, casting wavering shadows on the floor and walls. She had forgotten how different the atmosphere was here when the sun had set.

"Your majesty?"

Looking up, she found Samuel staring at her, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

"Samuel."

He put the pile of books he had in his hands on the desk and walked over to her. "What… What are you doing here? I thought-"

"Where's Ben Finn?"

He blinked, his mouth gaping like a fish for a few moments before he found his words again. "I really wouldn't disturb him at the moment. He'd been awake for almost thirty hours straight! Or at least that's the impression he gave me anyway."

"He…?" Milena shook her head, forcing the pity out of her heart, "Where is he Samuel?"

"Please, your majesty! Just let him rest for, another hour or two!"

She was about to reply when the most earth shattering, heart wrenching scream came from the rare books room… and there was only one person it could have been…

* * *

><p>The darkness surrounded him, hiding the world from his eyes, just as it had done in that cave in Aurora. He felt the warmth drain out of him as it enveloped him.<p>

"_The children have missed you._"

No! It couldn't be back. Not now. It was too soon! They weren't ready!

"_They are angry. They must feed._"

Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his head, and he screamed.

He tried to lash out at the monster, but his hands were empty and weak. He couldn't move. It was as though something was holding him down, but he couldn't see anything, only the darkness.

"_We are coming, and we will take everything that is rightfully ours._"

No…

"_We will destroy the light, and everyone who holds it._"

No.

"_It will die, and we will bring a new world. A world of darkness. A world of death._"

No!

* * *

><p>Ben woke to the feeling of cold water on his face that someone had probably used to wake him, his body hot and sticky from sweat, making his clothes stick to him. It was only then that he realised that it had all been a dream.<p>

He tried to move his hand up to his head which was still pounding from his nightmare, but he found that it was attached to something. Something… familiar.

He felt his cheeks heat up as he realised what it was.

"Oh thank Avo!" Milena cried, smiling at him and squeezing his hand, "I thought you'd never wake up!"

"M-Milena!" he exclaimed, sitting up, blinking his eyes to clear the spots from the sudden vertigo, "What are you doing here?"

One of her eyebrows rose, "Looking for you, of course. What were you thinking, going off like that?"

"I was-"

"And what was that? Since when did you have nightmares that bad? You had me seriously worried!"

"Um…" he cringed as he felt her fingers tighten around his, "princess-?"

"You should have said something! Why didn't you tell me? You could have been anywhere! In a ditch by the side of the road for all I knew! Never do that to me again, do you understand me?"

She looked at him in earnest, eyes pleading with him.

Was this really how she felt about him?

He smiled, "I understand."

Milena returned his grin and helped him to his feet, the books that had fallen onto his lap slamming shut as they hit the ground.

They stood there for a few moments, just staring into each other's eyes, before Samuel coughed, ending the moment. They both turned to look at him, faces red from embarrassment, and dropped their hands to their sides, Ben shaking his to try and get some life back into his crushed fingers.

"I'll uh, just get back to looking for those books shall I?" Samuel said, looking slightly guilty for his disturbance.

Ben nodded, not quite trusting his voice to keep how his heart was racing a secret. And it wasn't from fear any more.

As the Librarian raced off, the captain let his gaze return to the Queen.

"So…" he rubbed the back of his neck, "You were that worried huh?"

Milena lowered her eyes.

"You know, if I had known you would worry about me," he continued, lifting her chin up so he could see her beautiful eyes, "I would have waited."

For a moment she was lost for words, but then she drew back again, rubbing her arm, "What just happened… has it been happening a lot recently?"

Ben sighed. He knew he was going to have to tell her at some point. "It only happens when I sleep at night - and it's not usually that bad – but the nightmares just get worse every time." He sat down again, wiping his hand through his damp hair. "That's why I sleep when the sun's out. The sun keeps them away. But… Every time I have one of those dreams, I feel like I lose a part of myself… to the darkness inside of me."

* * *

><p>She didn't know what to say.<p>

Ever since they had escaped the Crawler, his dreams had been infected by that evil. He'd had to change the way he lived just so he could keep it at bay. It hadn't even been two months yet, and the darkness was already this strong inside of him.

It chilled her to the bone to think about what he must be going through.

Sitting down next to him, she put her hand over his again, just as she'd done when he was tossing and turning in his disturbed slumber. "You know what you need?" she asked, pulling his arm around her shoulders, "You need someone to talk to," she squinted at him, "And some fresh air. Come on!"

Pulling him back onto his feet again, she lugged him back out through the library and through the doors, a soft, cool breeze greeting them… and a rather excited dog.

"Hello Tyson," Ben said, patting him on the head, "I've missed you."

The dog barked at him, his tongue sticking out at the side in delight.

"Looks like he's missed you too," Milena said as the canine ran circles around them, barking happily, "Quiet boy, people are trying to sleep!"

The captain laughed when he continued to bark, ignoring her commands.

Soon, they reached the bridge that was overlooking most of the town, by which time Tyson had calmed down and was now padding his way along next to his master, and leaned on the stone wall, looking over the sleeping village.

"What were you looking for?" Milena asked finally, keeping her eyes focused on the one or two figures stumbling home from the tavern so as not to get distracted from the topic. No matter how hard she tried, whenever she looked at him, whatever she'd been thinking would just slip away, as though it didn't matter.

She felt his eyes on her, "Well, back when I stacked books here, Sammy used to let me read a few on my breaks," he said, turning to face the river again, "As long as I returned them anyway." She could hear the smirk in his voice and could tell that there were some very fond memories here, "I can remember coming across one book that said something about the location of an ancient artefact that was hidden by a Hero several centuries ago."

"An artefact?"

Ben nodded, "I believe it's some kind of statue, but I'm not one hundred per cent sure. If I _had_ the book I found it in, I would be. But, of course, since I've left the library, your brother ended up banning the use of the place and it's become almost impossible to find anything!"

Their eyes met for a moment, and Milena could see the annoyance he felt in them, though there was a hint of that obnoxious playfulness mixed in there too that made her smile. "And why exactly are you looking for this artefact?"

He frowned. "Well… for you."

Suddenly, she found herself blushing again – something that seemed to be happening more and more frequently recently – and looked down at her hands as she twiddled her thumbs.

"I know how hard you're working," he continued, "News travels fast. Everyone respects how much you're doing for them. I'm sure they'd help you if they could, and that got me thinking. There was no way I was going to be able to do anything to help on the salary I'm getting. Now don't get me wrong, it's enough. But it's not enough to help the Queen raise an army.

"And that's exactly what I want to do, princess, and this is the only way I know how besides some rather… unsavoury things that I didn't even want to consider. Probably wouldn't have considered had it not been for that shadow inside of me."

Milena gave him a rueful smile and sighed.

Okay, that's enough sorrow for one night!

"Why do you still call me that?" she asked.

"What? 'Princess'?"

She nodded, "Mm."

The captain shrugged. "I suppose it's because… I've always called you it. You could say it's a nickname."

"It's not really fitting any more, is it."

"Oh? Would you much rather I call you 'Queeny'? Or 'Ruler'?" he asked, a big grin spreading across his face, "Or maybe even 'your highness'."

How did…?

"How did you know I didn't like that title?"

Ben's grin widened, "Does that mean 'Princess' can stay?"

"But… But how?"

His eyes sparkled. "You're easy to read, sweetheart."

Milena gaped at him, but then squinted her eyes. "Walter told you."

He laughed. "A few weeks ago in one of our meetings. Said something about you threatening to throw something at the next person who said 'your highness' to you."

She shook her head, "That man…"

"Did you do it?"

"Huh?"

"'Huh'? That doesn't sound very queen-like. Did you throw something at them?"

She hit him lightly in the arm, "Shut up! And yes, I did."

His eyebrows rose, "Now this I've got to hear!"

* * *

><p>They had spent the rest of the night swapping stories. Milena's were mostly about how she was getting fed up with all the 'royal treatment', and Ben's described his year in Brightwall.<p>

He told tale after tale of his journey from being a seventeen year old orphan to the grand stacker of books that resided within the majestic halls of the Academy. He _may_ have exaggerated one or two little details, but she seemed to enjoy the story all the same.

Before they knew it, the sky was beginning to turn orange as the sun was beginning to push its way over the horizon.

Grasping her hand in his own, Ben looked Milena in the eye.

"I've got to show you something," he said excitedly, and began to pull her through the steadily filling streets, apologising to anyone he accidentally bumped into.

Soon, they were stood on the bridge just outside of the village, looking towards the East.

"Ben? What are… oh my."

Suddenly, the sun peeked over the mountains, its light spilling into the valley, reflecting off of the river's water, sending millions of scattered images across the landscape.

"It's… it's beautiful," she said, her face filled with awe and wonder.

He smiled softly at her, "A beautiful thing for a beautiful lady."

For a moment, she didn't seem to react, and Ben thought she hadn't heard him, but then she turned to face him.

He could see in her eyes how much she wanted what he said to mean more, to mean exactly what he'd intended it to. He watched as she licked her lips, and it only made him want her more.

He leant in, and for the first time, he felt her soft lips on his, and he wished that this moment would last forever.

**AN - :O I wasn't expecting that to happen at all!**

**Well, this was the moment I'm sure you've all been waiting for! Sorry if it's not the romantic scene you were hoping for, but this is my first time at romance, so give me a bit of a break!**

**It's going to get a bit more interesting from here on in I think...**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**

**And, as always... Until next time!**


	10. Briar Rose' Treasure Trove

**Briar Rose' Treasure Trove**

Milena's heart was still racing from that instant on the bridge, the taste of fireworks still playing on her tongue. Time had stood still for those few perfect moments, and she had felt the world slip away around them. If it hadn't been for the impending doom that Albion was facing, she would have been happy to have spent the rest of her life stood there with her captain.

_Her_ captain.

Yes, she could say that now and not think twice about it. He really was hers, and she was his, heart and soul.

"What are you thinking about, love?"

Smiling, she looked at him in the eyes, those wonderful sky-blue eyes, "You. What else?"

Ben grinned at her, putting the book he'd been looking at down on the desk, "Oh?" One of his eyebrows rose.

She blushed, "Not in that sort of way!"

He gave her an incredulous look before returning to his book, "Whatever you say, Princess."

Huffing, she resumed flicking through her own tome, trying to concentrate on looking for this lost relic, but she found herself stealing glances of the man opposite her. Why did he have to be so distracting?

It was just at that moment that Samuel came running in, holding a particularly dilapidated tome of his own.

"I think I've found it," he said, putting it carefully on the table so that they could both see.

It was a double page spread of the most illegible handwriting Milena had ever seen, to the left of which was an intricately detailed sketch of what looked like a woman in mourning. There were also a few sheets of paper that had been slipped into the pages, the words written on these far more readable than the book's.

"I found these in the page, and it looks like your handwriting, so I assumed-"

"I remember writing those!" he exclaimed, "It took me a week to decipher those scribbles, so I had to write it down so I didn't forget it all."

The librarian nodded and started to read off of the pieces of paper, "'The statue of the Mourning Lady is said to be the resting place of the treasure supply that was accumulated over the years by none other than Briar Rose, the renowned Hero that helped the legendary Hero of Oakvale to defeat Jack of Blades, the bane of Albion.

"'Though the precise location of this statue is unknown, it is said that it can be found within the confines of the Hall of the Dead, a dungeon that is said to be found in Bloodstone, though it's entrance has been long forgotten.'" Samuel frowned, "You've said something about Bloodstone being in the mountainous regions south of Silverpines."

"I've heard of Bloodstone," Milena said, moving in closer, "My mother told me stories about it. She said that it was where she met Reaver for the first time, and that it wasn't exactly where you'd want to go. I think My brother said that it was abandoned a few years after he was coroneted."

"It'll all be ruins now then," Ben commented, "Does it say anything else?"

'Sammy' skimmed a finger over the words, "Well, it does say something about not being able to entre it unless you're a Hero, though I don't understand what that means exactly."

"Must mean the Guild Seal or something," she said, picking up the quill from the jar of ink and pulling out a piece of fairly clean paper that was already half covered in her delicate hand-writing, "Could you do me a favour Samuel, and make sure this gets to Walter?"

The old man nodded, "Of course, your majesty."

Signing off the letter, she blew on it to make to ink dry and folded it into an envelope which she sealed with candle wax, not really bothered about the type of wax she was using, and made a 'W.B.' in it with the quill. It had been something she'd been doing with Walter for many years now, ever since she could read. She would always send him 'secret' letters with his initials in the wax.

Handing the letter to the scholar, she smiled and turned back to Ben, "Come on then. We've got a hoard to find!"

* * *

><p>Ben had never travelled by 'seal' before. It was an unusual sensation, like a jump that was suddenly halted, or having your foot fall through a step you thought was there but wasn't. One minute, he was stood in the library, holding on to Milena's hand, and the next he's in a room he'd never seen before with Jasper, the Queen's ever loyal servant giving him a curious look.<p>

"I see that you have found our rogue captain," the butler said, one of his eyebrows rising, "Would you be intending to take him back to the castle?"

"No, Jasper," the woman replied, pulling the captain towards the table in the centre of the room which looked almost identical to the one in her war room, "We'll be heading to Driftwood. They do have functioning boats now, don't they?"

"I believe so, madam, though might I enquire as to why you would wish to know?"

Milena grinned, Avo how he loved it when she did that, "I'm sure Walter will be able to tell you in a few days."

"A few days?" Jasper frowned as she began to reach for one of the models on the map, "What do you mean a few days?"

He never got his answer, because, just as they had arrived at that mysterious place, they left, 'jumping' to what appeared to be a beach looking out to a small hamlet in the middle of a lake. With all the lights, he had to admit that it looked very peaceful.

The Hero Queen moved in front of him, a question playing in her eyes, "Do you know how to sail?"

Okay… he hadn't been expecting that, "Um, yeah."

She smiled, "Good."

It was only when she started walking away that he noticed that he was no longer holding her hand, his fingers feeling too numb to feel anything. Silently, he prayed it wasn't permanent, and started to follow her.

Following the trail of lanterns that were hung on rope between one side of the bridges to the next, Milena led Ben towards the largest of the islands, returning greetings to those she they passed, on which was a dock.

The 'boats' as Jasper had called them were more like merchant ships. In fact, Ben wouldn't have been surprised if that had been exactly what they were; almost flat cargo ships with crates piled in corners that were being carried on and off in an almost continuous stream, even at this time of night.

He'd fallen behind a little as he had been making his observations, so Milena was already in the middle of her conversation with the man who must have been the captain of the vessel.

"- don't care if it's been abandoned for a century," the seaman exclaimed, "I'm not going anywhere near that place!"

Milena's demeanour, which had been relaxed and calm, was becoming the threatening more threatening and impatient, "You can't tell me that you're scared! What do you think will happen? That you'll get attacked by ghosts?"

"Aye!" he replied, surprising the monarch, "The notorious Captain Dread's been haunting those waters for the past two centuries, and me and my men won't be joining those unfortunate enough to get pulled into his crew."

Well, it looked like it was time for an experienced sailor to step in!

"How close are you willing to go?" Ben asked, stepping in before the Queen could make her situation worse.

The sea captain turned to him, squinting his eyes at the newcomer and looking him up and down, assessing him, as all good captains did, "And who might you be?"

"Captain Benjamin Finn of the Imperial army, sir," he said, extending his hand, "Though I spent a few months on board the um… The Crusader, as a hand. Went to all sorts of places."

Avo, please tell me this man doesn't know what kind of ship that was!

The skipper perked up a bit and took the offered hand, "Ah! You were a sailor! Why don't you tell the young miss here about Dread then? You look like you'd know a thing or two about it."

Ben had to hide his sigh of relief as he looked at Milena briefly, as though considering it, but then turned back to the sailor, "I've been to Bloodstone before. Back when I first joined the crew. Captain Dread's been gone since before Queen Sparrow's reign."

The man's eyes widened, "But that's… How is that possible?"

"Brought to an end by the Hero Queen herself," he explained, grinning, "Does that mean you'd be able to drop us off?"

He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, which wasn't all that surprising considering his belief had just been over turned, but then gave a small nod, "Well, some of my crew seem to hold the same belief as you, so I suppose I could drop you off on the Eastern shore before making my trip to Aurora. It might be a little out of the way, but my goods can keep."

Milena smiled, "Thank you, captain. You won't regret this."

"Aye. I hope not."

* * *

><p>There was something about the sea that always mad Milena think of her brother. It reminded her of the last journey he'd ever made by ship, and how the waters had brought him back a changed man. She could remember the times when she blamed it for the cruelty he inflicted on others, and for making him the way he was. She had hated it once, but now she knew the reason behind Logan's actions, she was glad it had separated them from the darkness.<p>

Standing at the prow of the ship, she watched as the sun danced on the waves.

Ben had volunteered to help as soon as they had left the dock, and was probably somewhere below deck, talking with the men, but she didn't mind. She needed this time to think properly, which she was incapable of doing whenever she was around him.

When thy had first set out, this idea had seemed like the most logical thing to do, but now, Milena had finally thought over everything.

The book they had received their information from was old. Very old. For all that they knew, Briar Rose's treasure trove could have been emptied years ago. And even if it hadn't, how could they say they would even be able to find this 'Hall of the Dead' anyway?

Perhaps her mother had been there… Maybe she should have asked Jasper.

Sighing, she pulled herself off of the railing and made her way below, so as not to cause much confusion when she suddenly disappeared.

Soon enough, Milena found a nice secluded spot behind some crates, and used the seal to get to the sanctuary.

"Oh, hello!" Jasper greeted her cheerfully, as always, as Tyson made his way into his basket, "What would you be needing today?"

"Information. Have you heard of the 'Hall of the Dead'?"

The butler frowned. "Um, I can't say that I… Oh yes! Your mother told me of it once. Said she found the 'Wreckager' down there, one of her swords, sometime before she was crowned. I think it's on display in the castle somewhere…"

"Yes, but where is it?" she asked impatiently, "I need to get there."

Jasper cocked an eyebrow, but refrained from commenting, "I believe your mother said that she found the entrance just off the coast of Bloodstone, but it was submerged in the sea near to the eastern cliffs."

She should have thought as much.

"Thank you Jasper, and I'm sorry I snapped."

He smiled at her, "That's quite alright. Being both the Queen _and_ an adventurer can be quite stressful I'm told."

Nodding, she returned to the ship, Tyson growling in annoyance for being parted from his soft bed, and went to find Ben.

* * *

><p>The ex-sailor was stood on the deck when Bloodstone first came into view. It was just as big as he remembered it, though there was a considerable lack of ships in the dock. He was about to look for Milena when she suddenly rose from the hull, her long hair getting caught in the cool breeze.<p>

When she smiled at him, it felt as though he would melt.

How could a man like him ever deserve a woman like her?

Walking over to her, he pointed out the abandoned port, "The captain said he'll drop us off just there," he said, pointing towards a sandy beach to the left of the town, "He's just getting a row-boat ready now."

Milena nodded, "That's good. I've been told that our destination is closer to those cliffs than the town."

Chuckling at her choice of words, he picked up his riffle that was leaning against the mast and strapped it to his back before heaving a bag over his shoulder. When the Queen gave her a curious look, he simply said, "Provisions."

A shout from some of the members of the crew told him that their ride was ready, and, lacing his fingers into hers, Ben led the way over to the side of the ship and into the smaller vessel.

The journey to the shore was made in almost complete silence, the two men, Fred and Thomas, who were fairly decent men, talked quietly amongst themselves, but their presence made it impossible for Milena or himself to make any plans. It was only after they had left, after convincing them that they would be able to make it home on their own, that they could speak freely.

"How do you know where it is?" he asked almost as soon as the row-boat was out of hearing distance.

"Jasper told me," she explained as she continued up the shoreline, "It turns out my mother's been in the 'Hall of the Dead' before, before she became the Queen."

Ben felt his eyes grow wide, "Really?"

You had to admit, her mother must have been some woman in her day…

All of a sudden, Milena stopped and looked out towards the sea, "There's a problem though. The entrance is somewhere out there, underwater."

"Oh."

They stood there for a few moments, wondering where the entrance might be, when suddenly Ben felt the urge to yawn.

It was a big one. A real jaw opener.

When was the last time he'd slept?

"I think we should probably get some rest before we look, don't you?" Milena asked.

Ben nodded, "You have no idea how good that sounds."

**AN - Yay! Treasure hunt!**

**Sorry if the whole 'seal travel' sounds bad, but I won't be using it that much, so just bare with me on those parts.**

**As always, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and...**

**Until next time!**


	11. Search and Rescue

**Search and Rescue**

Milena woke to complete and utter darkness. For a moment, her heart raced at the thought that the Crawler was already upon them, but then she remembered where she was.

They had ended up having to search the town for a suitable place to rest, though most of the buildings were crumbling from the fires that had probably torn through the buildings many years before, as the sun was too high to get any sleep on the beach. They had eventually found a building that still had a functioning cellar with enough room to spread out, though they had to remove a few barrels of what appeared to be some form of alcoholic beverage; something Ben had been all too happy to discover.

However, the captain had almost immediately fallen asleep after lying down. It reminded her that his dreams were being plagued by the very creature they were trying to fight, making it almost impossible for him to ever sleep in peace.

She would have to talk to Kalin about it at some point…

A slight tug on her arm brought Milena back to the present, and she found Tyson's jaw hanging onto her sleeve.

"Hello boy," she said, rubbing his fir, though she couldn't say where, "Is Ben up yet?"

A groan from the other side of the room told her she'd probably just woken him up.

Taking care not to hit her head, she made her way over towards the entrance which they had covered with a scrap piece of cloth they had found to keep the light out. Pulling it away, thin lines of light shot through the cracks, giving the room a taste of light before it was flooded as she opened the doors.

The sun was still up, though barely hovering over the horizon. It only gave them a few hours before night fell, but hopefully that was enough time to find the entrance to the Hall. She didn't regret spending the entire day resting though. It felt as though she had slept on a rock, and probably had, but she felt more awake than she had in weeks!

Well… maybe that wasn't _exactly_ true…

Shaking her head, Milena stepped out into the remains of a street, strapping her hammer and rifle to her back and pushing the thoughts of that magical kiss behind her. She had to focus. Now was not the time to daydream.

"I'm sure the sun the other side of the sky when I last check," came the gruff voice of the captain.

Stretching, she turned to face him, "Have a nice nap?"

"You call that a nap?" he asked, grinning, "That was a damn miracle! I haven't slept like that since… before."

The mood darkened at the unmentioned reason, but the young Queen pushed it aside, "That's good then. We have to find the Hall of the Dead before dark, or we'll never find it!"

"Try and stop me!" Ben shouted to her as he took off for the beach at a dead run, laughing.

Smiling, Milena quickly followed suite, Tyson barking as he bounded along beside her.

It was almost in no time that she could feel sand slipping under her boots, and Ben had already started stripping his weapons and shoes, dumping them onto a rock.

"What took you so long?" he smirked as he pulled his socks off of his already de-shoed feet.

Giving him a warning glance, she grinned and started to pull her own boots off, hopping slightly so she could keep her balance. It probably made her look ridiculous.

Luckily though, the captain was too preoccupied with his pistol to take much notice.

After making sure all of her things were safely above the height of the high tide, she told her dog to make sure they were kept safe (though whether he fully understood her or not was in question) and started to make her way out into the sea.

* * *

><p>Ben was surprised at how well Milena could swim.<p>

Being a sailor, it had been a requirement what he had stumbled onto the Crusader – if not for the captain, then for himself – so he prided himself on being one of the best swimmers on the vessel. For the young Hero, however, it was something she only needed to do well enough to get her from A to B.

Of course, she defied his expectations and took to the water like a fish, being able to swim both faster and more efficiently than himself. It was like watching a piece of artwork unfolding before his eyes.

Not that he was staring or anything. Just… taking note of how her technique…

Oh who was he trying to fool. He was staring! He was practically eating her with his eyes! And who would blame him with such a fine looking…

Look for the entrance Ben! You don't have time to be fooling around!

Diving under the surface of the waves, Ben kept his eyes open for any signs of an opening, though the salt in the water made them sting and he had to make regular breaks to keep himself from going temporarily blind.

It was only when he noticed that the sun had sunk beneath the horizon that he realised that he hadn't seen the young woman for a while.

"Princess?" he cried over the sound of the waves, but there was no reply, "Princess?"

What if she'd gotten stuck on a rock or something? What if she'd drowned? Oh Avo… What if she'd been dragged out to sea by the currents that had always been tugging at him from the first moment he sank under the surface?

"Milena!"

"What?"

Spinning around, Ben found the monarch smiling curiously at him. Relief swept over him and he let it show on his face. If he could have, he would have held her in his arms, but he had to settle with a squeeze of the hand. "I thought I'd lost you!"

Her smile turned solemn, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you, but I had to check something."

He frowned.

"I've found it!" she exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling in enthusiasm.

"Really?"

She nodded, "Follow me."

Taking a deep breath, she sunk beneath the water again.

* * *

><p>The first time she'd found the cave, Milena had thought it was just that; a cave. But then she'd wondered why the room was so well lit, and then she'd noticed the grand archway behind her.<p>

After bringing Ben along, they had both agreed that this must have been the place they were looking for, so fifteen minutes later, they ended up on the top of the stairs to a surprisingly well lit descent into the unknown, completely soaked to the bone, water spilling out of their boots and useless guns hanging on their backs.

A shower was definitely going to be needed after this.

As Tyson shook himself our, sending a spray flying in every direction, Milena started to study the walls for any signs of an opening, leaning down to see if she could to shift some of the stones.

"Uh, as wonderful as the view is… what are you doing?"

Grinning, she stood and put her hand on her hips, "View? What view? All I see are rocks and moss."

"You ain't standing where I am, love," she heard him murmur.

Turning around, she looked as confused as she could and frowned at him, "I'm sorry? What was that?"

Suddenly, Ben was all innocence and coughed, "What was what?"

Squinting her eyes at him, she turned back to the wall, "I was trying to find the entrance to the treasure trove," she explained, "I'm sure it wouldn't be somewhere obvious, so…"

"You know, if you knew anything about Briar Rose, you'd know she wouldn't have hidden the treasure right at the front of the beginning of the cave."

"… Yes. That's why… I was looking for traps!"

Smooth.

"Uh huh," Ben said as he made his way past her, purposely brushing into her, making her clothes stick to her skin just that little bit more.

Real smooth.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they were faced with three options.

Straight in front of them was an opening in the floor where yet another pool of water waited some hundred feet below, probably leading off into some other chamber. To their left was a door that was stood wide open (probably from when Milena's mother had been there) leading to a staircase that headed down in the same direction as the opening.

On their right was another passageway, though it had been blocked off by a stone wall, plaster still clinging to parts of it. The bricks didn't look like they belonged there, but the mortar looked strong.

"Right, I take it," Ben said, following Milena's gaze, "Yeah, I'd go for that direction too." Putting an ear to the wall, he rapped it with his knuckles, "I'd say that's about two feet thick."

When he turned back to her, he tilted his head.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to put that massive sledge hammer of yours to good use?"

Blinking, Milena touched the handle of her weapon. Scythe's Warhammer was more than just a _sledge hammer_, it was a piece of history! It was her trusted ally, not some tool to be used in the way she felt! It had to be respected and cared for.

"We're not using this!"

Puzzled, the captain took a step towards her, only to have her step back, "Why not?"

"This is Scythe's Warhammer!"

His eyes grew wide in awe for a moment, but then his face turned serious again, "It's also our only way through that wall."

They stood in silence for a few moments, staring at each other, but it was Milena who dropped her eyes first.

"I know you don't like this," Ben said quietly, "but what else can we do?"

Sighing, she pulled the ancient weapon off of her back and walked towards the barrier.

Here goes nothing!

* * *

><p>The wall collapsed in a cloud of dust and plaster, revealing a small chamber.<p>

The hammer was, luckily, unscathed, so Ben didn't have to worry about explaining to the Hero, when he returned, why there were scratches all over it. He was pretty sure that even if he was dead by the time Scythe came back to Albion, he'd personally drag him out to ask.

Looking around the room, he noticed a floating orb in the dead centre, nothing else in sight but the bare rock that surrounded them.

"What is that?" he asked, examining its blue glow.

"It's a flit switch," Milena explained, pulling him aside, "They unlock special areas, but only a Hero can use them."

"Well, that explains why the book said this place could only be found by someone like you."

Smiling, the Queen swung her hammer through the floating orb, sending it shooting past their heads and into the stairway opposite. This time, it was glowing red.

"You should probably stand back," Milena warned, summoning a fire ball in her hand.

As Ben moved out of the way, she flung it at the orb, exploding on impact, and once again sending it on its way, further into the depths of the Hall. They followed it as quickly as they could, the darkness surrounding them deepening.

He could feel it pressing in on him, constricting him, but luckily the next room was as well-lit as the last, fires burning in the braziers hanging on the walls.

The floor they were stood on didn't seem to be supported by anything, though it looked stable, and it was wide enough to let the both of them stand on it side my side. And sat right in the middle, was the orb, glowing blue once again.

Swinging the war hammer, Milena batted the globe away, though it ended up making a u-turn and travelled through another archway.

This time, it had landed almost fifty feet away from the edge of the platform, embedding itself in the pummel of a gigantic stone sword that was being held by an equally as big stone man, neither of which were mobile – thankfully. The statue itself was stood in front of what looked like an enormous time piece, though it appeared to have stopped working long ago.

The orb was now glowing yellow, giving the rock around it the appearance of sandstone.

Ben was just about to ask what the change in colour meant, Milena pulled the Shrieking Pilgrim off her shoulder and took aim.

No matter what kind of gun she held, it always looked like that was what she was made to use, and this rifle was no different. It seemed to fit snugly under her arm, just the right length for her to hold it with ease.

She fired her shot and it hit the target, dead centre.

Smiling, she hefted the rifle back onto her shoulder as the orb started to turn, spinning the statue with it… and the entire room.

The platform they were standing on started to move around the side of the wall, following the glare of the giant, shaking as stone scraped against stone.

Eventually, they were facing a door, a large spiralling design on it with an indentation in the middle of an 's' shaped design. Ben knew it to be the guild seal symbol. Didn't Milena have one of those?

As if she was reading his thoughts (though more likely she just saw the logic), she pulled her seal out of the bag she had at her belt and pressed it to the door. It fitted like a key in a lock, sending a shock wave of blue light throughout the cracks, pushing unseen blockages out of the way, forcing the entrance to swing open.

Behind which, was the most eye popping, jaw dropping collection of items and treasures.

**AN - Ug! I absolutely _hated_ writing this chapter!**

**Yes, I know I added the flit switch too... So sue me! :P**

**For those of you wondering why it was completely dark when Milena woke when she has 'glowing will lines', it's because, like my character in my game, she likes using her rifle more than any of her other weapons.**

**Also, those who are confused with the title choice... it just sounded right...**

**I'm actually looking forward to the next chapter! So that one should be a bit better.**

**And, as always, until next time!**


	12. The New Title

**The New Title**

Hobson was ogling the pile of gold that was sat before him. It looked like he wanted to jump in it and spend his entire day rolling around in the massive hill that Milena and Ben had created, like a pig in mud. Walter, on the other hand, took one look at it and returned to the war room where the Queen was stood waiting.

"You might want to get a mop," the knight said, "He's beginning to drawl."

She rolled her eyes, "I swear that he's been dreaming about the day when he could swim in gold."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Walter chuckled, "Though I have to say it's quite an impressive find. Briar Rose's hidden treasure!"

She grinned, "And I never would have found it had it not been for mother's stories and Ben's less conspicuous time in Brightwall."

"Speaking of that captain of yours, where is he?" the old man asked, looking around, "I haven't seen him since you arrived."

Milena's grin grew wider, "He's probably trying out his gift."

Walter's eyebrow rose, but he didn't ask what it was, returning instead to the sheets of paper that were littering the table next to them. Avo, how she hated paperwork! "Well, I've made all of the preparations, just as you've asked. It should all be ready by tomorrow morning."

"Good," she replied, skimming over the details on the papers.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mentor shift uncomfortably, a frown playing across his face, "Um, Milena?"

She didn't take her eyes away from the table, "Hmm?"

"Have you told him yet?"

Looking up, she blinked. "No, not yet. I was planning on doing it straight after this."

Squinting his eyes at her briefly, but turned back to the task at hand, "Well, what you brought in from your adventures over the past few days has helped us raise another four million gold! That should keep us in the black for a while."

Milena nodded, "But it's still not enough."

He shook his head, "No. And if you're planning on keeping all of those promises you've made, I would suggest you continue to work, otherwise we'll never make it."

"I thought as much." Sighing, she pinched her nose, "It was never going to be that simple, was it."

"I'm afraid not," Walter replied, putting a hand on her shoulder, "But at least we're out of the danger zone."

They stood there in silence for a few moments, but then Milena suddenly felt Walter tap her.

"And thus concludes today's discussion," he smiled, "Now, I do believe you have something to tell a certain someone."

Laughing, Milena thanked him and took her leave, heading out into the corridors, many of the servants and guards bowing to her as she passed them. She hated it when they did that, but it was one of those traditions that were far too old and ingrained into society to break.

Eventually, she found the man she was looking for sat at a table in the servant's dining room… which was almost impossible to get to through the swarms of swooning maids stood gossiping next to the doors who quickly excused themselves when they noticed who she was.

"I swear, every time you come here, I lose half of my staff!" she exclaimed, causing the blond haired man to look up from the item that had been holding his attention on the table.

Ben grinned, "I'm sorry, love, but I can't help being so roguishly handsome."

Returning his smirk, she sat down opposite him and looked down at the table where his gift lay. "I see you've been examining your new toy then."

"Pft, toy?" he replied, picking it up, "This is no toy! My flintlock is a toy! This – this is a piece of artwork!" He stroked the barrel of the pistol, pulling the hammer back slowly, savouring the sound of the mechanism, "I didn't know there were any more of these in existence."

"There were six made, Ben," Milena said, "Reaver has five, for which he constantly boasts, but my mother was able to find the last one before he did. And since I don't use pistols…" she left it hanging.

Ben shook his head in disbelief. "I can't take this."

"What?" she asked, "Why not?"

"It was your mothers. She gave it to you so-"

"Actually, she never used it," Milena explained, "She found it, told me stories about it, and told me that if there ever were a person worthy enough to wield it, they should have it. Unless you've been lying all this time, and whenever I've watched you it's only been a fluke that you've never missed, I would say you were worthy."

Smirking, he looked at her, "Well, like I said, I have shot through three hollow men with one shot before."

"Exactly."

He continued to stare at her as he leaned in closer, "I have the overwhelming urge to kiss you right now," he murmured so that his 'fan club' that was undoubtedly hiding just around the corner wouldn't overhear.

She started to lean in as well, "Then why don't you? You did it before."

Ben snorted, "But nobody was there then. I don't want to ruin your reputation. I mean, the Queen of Albion kissing a mere captain?"

"Well I doubt you'll have to worry about that much after you're promoted tomorrow."

He blinked, "Sorry?"

Milena smiled innocently, "Oh yes! That was why I came down here! Walter has been receiving letters complaining about the state of the chain in command in a certain faction of the army, and there have been several recommendations for a new Maj-"

Suddenly, the distance between them had disappeared, and their lips collided.

Fireworks exploded in her mouth, just as they had before, and she could feel her whole body sighing. She felt her eyelids droop and there was nothing but his lips.

And then, it was over. Only it wasn't. Her mouth was numb from the experience, and she could feel his breath on her face. Opening her eyes, Milena found him less than an inch away from her, smiling contentedly. She had no doubt that she wore a similar expression.

"Think the maids got that," he asked, "or do they need another showing?"

* * *

><p>Ben was fairly sure that the news of his 'latest conquest' had already reached the edges of Bowerstone. Of course, there was no way of really knowing unless he was out there, but he was stuck in the castle grounds until after his promotion.<p>

Unlike Swifty (don't…), he was privy to the entire official ceremony, which, luckily, did not involve dances, long speeches or parties of any sort. Well… apart from the one his men were sure to throw for him as soon as he got back to them.

After Milena had said goodbye, and by _said_… he had gone in search of someone who knew what exactly he would be doing, not wanting to distract the Queen from her duties any longer than he already had. That was about the time when he'd run into Walter.

The knight had gone through the stages very carefully, making sure he repeated them back to him, just to make sure that he was listening, which had become extremely difficult over the drumming of his heart in his ears, but he managed. Barely.

He was surprised at how little he had to say though.

For the rest of the day, he had decided to go to sleep in the room that had been provided for him, which had thick enough curtains to keep most of the sunlight out. After asking one of the servants to wake him before night fell, he slipped his shoes of and settled on the bed, though it was at least an hour before he was able to get any sleep.

It had now been around twelve hours since waking, and he was stood pacing in front of the doors leading to the throne room.

He'd gone over the plan about a hundred times in his head, hoping he'd be able to remember it all.

But what if he forgot what to say? What if his men hated him? Would he ever be able to replace Swifty?

A knock came from the door, the signal that they were about to be opened, and the servants in the area backed away.

Straightening his jacket and running his fingers through his hair one final time, he stood to attention, just as the door started to open.

The room wasn't full, but there were still a good thirty people there. Milena sat in the place of honour, looking a little uncomfortable in the dress she was wearing, Walter stood just to the left, and Logan to the right. Ben recognised a good few of the men from Mourningwood Fort, and a few others from the army camp he'd been stationed in. There were a few men he recognised nearer to the front than the rest, the stripes on their jackets showing their ranks. Lieutenants, Captains and Majors; he'd met a few of them at the meetings, but he was too nervous to remember names.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he bowed, though not so low as to let Milena out of his sight.

If she noticed this, she didn't show it, standing and keeping her attention solely on him.

"Captain Benjamin Finn of the Swift Brigade in Albion's imperial army," she began, her voice filling the room, "It has come to our attention that you lack a commanding officer in the field."

Logan had the good grace to look uncomfortable, fully aware that most of the room was probably looking at him.

"It has also come to our attention that you have many, if not all, of the qualities necessary to fulfil this role," She turned to Walter who produced a square piece of folded fabric and handed it to her, "Therefore, I have the honour of presenting you with your correct uniform, as Major. May you serve this country well."

As she handed over his new jacket, he felt something crackle underneath the surface of the fabric. Unfortunately, his question could not be answered by the Queen's eyes, as magical as they were, so he remained silent, waiting for the final part of the ceremony to begin.

Once Milena had returned to her throne, Walter made his way to the top of the stairs and cast his kind but scrutinising on him. "Major Finn, do you swear, by the name of Avo, and by the name of your Queen, Milena, that you will do everything in your power to protect Albion and its peoples from any threat?"

"I swear," Ben replied, nodding slightly.

The knight turned to the other officer, "And do you, officers here present, swear to hold him by his oath, and do what is necessary to keep him from straying."

"We swear," they replied, speaking in unison.

Standing once again, Milena addressed the entire room, "I hereby call this gathering at an end." And with that, she started her descent of the stairs. As Ben stepped out of the way, he noticed her look at him out of the corner of her eye, a smile playing on her lips.

Holding back his own smile, he bit his lip as the three processed past him, trying to keep his face as serious as possible. It was only after they had left that the silence was broken.

"Congratulations Major!" one of the officers, Lieutenant Harrison, said, "You deserve it."

It was as though he'd opened a floodgate.

The newly promoted Major was immediately swarmed by people congratulating him and wishing him well, a smile on every face he saw. As nice as it was to be welcomed as readily as he was, all he wanted to do was to find out what was in the bundle in his hands.

It took him fifteen minutes to escape the room, and another ten to find somewhere peaceful enough to make his discovery alone; his room.

Of course. Why would he expect it to be any different?

Sitting down on the bed, he unfolded the jacket.

Placed right in the centre of the fabric was an envelope with his name written in a very familiar scrawl across it.

Putting his new uniform aside – he'd look at it later – he carefully broke open the plain wax seal and began to read.

_ Benjamin Finn,_

_Congratulations my boy! I knew you'd make it! You always were one of the good ones. I would have loved to have congratulated you in person but, since you are reading this, I am no longer in the land of the living._

_Writing this now, on the eve of a revolution, I can see that it is probable that I will lose my life, though, hoping that all goes well, you will never have to see this note I have instructed Walter to give you once you are promoted in my absence._

_I know you have it in you to be a great leader. You have earned the respect of the men, and they will follow you into hell. Your reputation has made a hero of you, and there will not be many who could turn you down._

_I have but two pieces of advice; don't let it go to your head, and always do what is in your heart, for it will never lead you astray._

_During the years I have spent with you, I have seen you grow into the honest man you have always wanted to become, and I am sorry to leave you with such a burden as my death, but you must move on._

_It saddens me to know the past you have left behind, but although your actions may have been ill guided, your intentions were pure. Never lose that, and your future will be bright._

_And on that note, I shall bit you good luck, and farewell and all that,_

_ Major Swift_

**AN - Hooray! Ben's a Major! Whoot!**_  
><em>

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I was hoping to make it longer, but then I realised that this was as good a place to stop as any other I could think of.**

**I can't believe how long I stayed with the characters this time! I thought I'd go on forever!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I look forward to the next!**

**Until next time!**


	13. Shadows in the Dark

**Shadows in the Dark**

Ben looked dashing in his new uniform. He had kept his trousers, but his old shoes had been replaced by mid-calf black boots (the kind that had already been worn by at least three people), and his jacket was no longer the sleeveless shirt-like body warmer, but a long sleeved coat with blue trimmings, similar to what the Major Swift had worn though without the additional shoulder pad, the tail hanging down to just above the backs of his knees.

He stood proud and tall in front of his Queen as he bid her farewell, almost an hour after the exceedingly short ceremony, a smirk on his lips, though his eyes held the sorrow of lost ones.

Milena had wanted nothing more than to hold him, to comfort him, to ask him what his troubles were, but society and tradition forbade it, and so she had to watch him leave with his men, unable to do anything about it.

For the rest of the day, she had ended up performing more judgements in the throne room, though she didn't really see the importance of the decoration of the castle, and it had ended with her a further nine hundred thousand gold out of pocket. She still had over half of what was needed to fund the armies, but, at the rate she was going, it was unlikely that there would be anything left by the time she had fulfilled her promises.

Now she was once again alone, stood, staring, at the map of the kingdom she ruled, her thoughts returned to her handsome Major.

What had been in that letter, the one Walter had told her to give him? Will his eyes always be filled with such sadness? And when will he be given peace from the dreams that plague his nights?

A knock at the door broke her away from her dismal thoughts, and she turned to face it.

"Enter."

As the doors swung open, they revealed the leader of the Auroran people, Kalin, whom she had just met with in the throne room.

"Your majesty," she said with a bow as she entered, "Might I just thank you once again for the kindness you have shown my people."

Milena smiled, "You are most welcome, Kalin. It is the least I could do for your help."

The other woman returned the smile, "I believe you summoned me?"

"Yes," she looked down at the map again, examining the mountains that surrounded the Shifting Sands, "Do you remember, after you found me, the… affliction that had been affecting Ben?"

Kalin frowned, "Yes. But Priestess Mara assured me that it had passed."

Milena inspected one of the model ships that had been placed on the sea, "If that is true, then he wouldn't be suffering from nightmares, would he?"

"It is not uncommon for such things to occur."

Sighing, the Queen finally pulled her attention to the only other person in the room, "During the past few months, Ben has taken to sleeping during the day, as his nightmares are plagued by the very creature that attacked us when we first arrived on your shores," Kalin gasped, "It appears that the sunlight can keep it at bay, but it will only get worse."

She paused for a moment, holding back tears that she could feel were about to fall, "I need your help, Kalin."

She nodded, her eyes serious, "How bad are these nightmares?"

"I have not witnessed many, but he screams in his sleep. He will not talk about them with me, but my brother has told me that they had spoken. He says that it's still inside him, that he can feel it there."

The Auroran nodded again, "I shall send for the Priestess. It will be, as you say, the least I could do."

* * *

><p>The celebrations had lasted all night, and most, save the unlucky few who had drawn the short straw, had slept until midday had come and gone, Major Finn included.<p>

He still wasn't used to that yet. Major Finn.

It's not that it didn't suit him or anything, it was just… strange. He still wasn't responding when someone called him that. He wondered if he was ever going to get used to it, if he was ever going to live up to the rank.

The sun was beginning to set, and it had been a few hours since he's woken, but now he was sat with a few of his men around the fire, and all was well.

"… an' so I says, "Why don't you come here an' meet mine?"" Johnny finished, bursting into laughter with everyone else, slapping his knee.

Ben smiled, "Now that reminds me of-"

"Sir?"

Sighing at the interruption, he turned around in his seat to find one of his sergeants stood waiting. "What is it Danny?" he asked as he recognised the face.

"There's a woman asking for you," he replied, making a few of the others give Ben knowing looks, "She said she's from Aurora."

The Major frowned, "Aurora?"

He nodded, "Yes sir. She's in the stables."

Turning back to his men, he apologised and made his leave, smiling at the comments that they made. What in the name of Avo would a woman from Aurora be doing here?

As he stepped into the stables, he immediately recognised his guest.

"Priestess Mara?"

The woman smiled at him, "Not what were you were expecting, is it."

He blinked, "What are you doing here?"

"I have been informed of your… sleeping conditions," she replied, her face turning serious, "It is quite clear that you were affected by the darkness far worse than I had ever imagined."

"Informed of… Did Milena send you?"

Ben could feel his anger rising, but he didn't know why. It was as though something was trying to make him fight, to get this woman, who was only trying to help, to leave.

"She merely explained what she knew," she explained, "I am the one who made the decision to see you."

"She shouldn't have done that."

"And why is that?"

"Because it's none of her bloody business!"

Silence descended among them.

Frowning, he combed his fingers through his hair, trying to understand what had caused his outburst, confusion dancing across his features, "What's happening to me?" he murmured, the rage suddenly drained from his body.

The Priestess stepped towards him and closed her eyes, holding her hands out towards him as she chanted something in a language Ben had not heard before. After a moment, her eyes flew wide open and she took a step back, gasping for breath.

"It is in you," she rasped, "It is festering. I can sense it now."

"What does that mean?"

Soon, she was able to breath properly again and regained her posture, "You are being haunted by the darkness inside you. It is trying to break you, bend you to its will. I would help you here, but I do not have the correct medicines and I will need help to pull it out. It has burrowed deep, so deep that I failed to see it before."

Ben lowered his gaze. It was really that bad?

"What… What do I need to do?"

"You can't do anything here. We have to go to Aurora."

* * *

><p>The dry heat of the desert sun was blazing down on her, forcing her to sneak a small mouthful of water from her flask. It had been two days since Hobson had sent her on this 'adventure', and she was feeling rather the worse for wear.<p>

The Sandfall Palace had not be very hard to find, as most of the people in the city had known of its location, though they dared not go further than the edge of their home.

The Sand Fury infested the deserts of Aurora like flies gathered around a donkey. Every couple of hundred yards, they would pop up out of the sand and Milena had to fight. The Palace had been even worse, but luckily there hadn't been much sand for them to hide in. In fact, it had been a little oasis in there, with enough water to swim in.

The diamond itself was almost too big for her to carry, and every time those Sand Fury turned up, she had to drop it whilst she and Tyson took care of their distraction.

She was close to the city gates now, which had been recently fixed thanks to 'Reaver Industries', and the damned thing had nearly gotten her killed at least a dozen times now, but the stairs were, though impossible to climb with such a burden, a safe haven from hidden enemies.

After finally entering under the stone doorway, she was met by several guards, congratulating her on her most recent achievement, and, thank Avo, a wagon.

Now that she didn't have to carry around that damned weight, all she wanted to do was have a nice bath and go to-

"My lady!"

Was she never to get a moment's peace?

"My lady!" a woman cried, running up the hill to meet her, "We need your help. It's… the temple… he's fighting-"

"Slow down," she asked, troubled by her fearful tone, "Who are you talking about? What's happening?

The woman nodded, "When Priestess Mara… was told of your friend, she… brought him back here so… she could treat him and-"

"What? Ben's here?"

This wasn't making any sense. She had been told the Priestess had gone to the main land to treat him there. How much worse could it be than she had feared so that she would bring him back here?

"The darkness has taken root inside of him. He fights… against our efforts to free him, and we fear for his… life, and ours, as its grip has only tightened… since his arrival. If we leave it much longer, it will be too late… to save him."

Milena's breath caught in her throat.

How could this be? Had she not seen him only days before, happy and healthy in her castle?

"Take me to him."

* * *

><p>There were hands everywhere. Dark, unfriendly hands, trying to pull him from the bed in which he lay. It was cold and filled with shadows, but it welcomed him like a friend. A long lost friend that had been away from home for too long. It was where he belonged.<p>

There were voices too. They tried to convince him that this bed was not his, but he knew they were tricking him. The shadows told him of the voices' lies. They would not fool him.

The voices tried to tell him they were his friends, that they were trying to help him to free himself of the shadows, but he ignored them. He had no friends. Everyone he'd trusted before, even Major Swift, had been using him for their own gains.

The world was nothing. It had taken away everything he had ever had. It had made him watch as it burned him with its heat. Only the shadows could understand him. Only they could comfort him.

There they were again, those hurtful, pointed fingers, digging into him as they poked and prodded him, trying to drive him out of his comfortable hole.

Go away! I don't need you!

He was in the corner. There was nowhere to run, but the shadows protected him. They kept the worst of the voices at bay, so they were only whispers. They pushed the hands and fingers away, so they felt like nothing but rain. But still, they tormented him.

Leave me alone! I don't need any help!

_Please, Ben, let them help you!_

That voice. It was not dull like the others. It did not whisper threats. He knew that voice, but he could not recall where he had heard it.

A soft had grasped his arm, making him flinch from its sudden heat, but it did not burn like the others. It was warm, reassuring, and it called him away from the safety of the shadows, promising something more than just darkness and the cold, but heat that would not burn, joy and love.

The shadows tried to dissuade him, to keep him from pushing them away, but he wanted so much to know that bright world, and he held tightly onto the only link he had with it. The shadows tore at his flesh as he forced them away, left freezing burns on his skin. They did not want him to leave.

But the hand held ever tighter.

_You have to fight it. You have to win._

The voices were getting stronger as he pushed away the shadows again, and light started to seep through the shade. The screams of the shadows were becoming a distant memory, the pain subsiding, and he began to realise who's voice had been calling him.

Milena?

_I'm here, Ben. It's me._

Where was she? Why couldn't he see her? Why were the shadows hiding her from him?

He tried to pull himself further out of the pit they had brought him in to, but they were grasping at his heels, weighing him down.

_Fight it. You can't leave me!_

No, he couldn't. He wouldn't!

He tugged his feet free of the shadows and ran. He ran as far as he could, until…

The Priestesses of Aurora surrounded him, and there was a strange odour in the air. The women were all staring at him, fear in their eyes, except one.

The Queen's eyes were filled with tears and hope, and her hand still grasped his arm.

Slowly, he brushed some stray hair behind her ear and smiled, "I will never leave you, Princess."

Milena smiled and pulled his lips to meet hers, the salt of her tears tasting sweet on his tongue.

No. He would never leave his Princess.

**AN - Well... I hadn't expected this chapter to be _that_ dark.**

**Ah well, the story goes where the story goes, and it was interesting to write in such a way.**

**I forgot to ask in the previous chapter; did you guess what pistol Ben had?**

**Any who, this was a fun chapter to write, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm sorry if it was a little too fast, but there you go.**

**Until next time!**


	14. Notes and Dresses

**Notes and Dresses**

The images of Ben's face still haunted her. His face twisted in pain as his body writhed on the table, his eyes wide but unseeing, lips moving but saying nothing. It was as though something had taken him away and replaced him with a mindless body that reacted only to the inner turmoil that had been left behind.

When he had come back from that place, wherever it had been, she could have held him forever, and it had been a very real possibility, but, just like on the bridge, she had remembered her duties, and so, she had to let go.

After what had happened, Priestess Mara had approached her with a proposition.

It appeared that the only reason that Ben had not fully succumbed to the darkness was because of the light that she had shared with him when she'd touched him. Without her, he would probably no longer exist, and if anything similar to this were to occur on the mainland, then she would be the only one able to pull him out.

In other words, she did not want Milena to be far from the Major's side.

Considering the rank he had been promoted to, it was entirely possible to keep him in the castle, but then that would be like keeping him prisoner, and he was no caged bird.

However, she realised that there was a lot of space in areas surrounding the city. Not only could this mean that he would be closer, but the economy would improve significantly, meaning that the people would have more money with which to feed their children. Plus, crime would decrease dramatically. Not many people would want to steal knowing there was an entire army right next to them. It was a win, win situation.

When she explained her proposition to him whilst on the ship back to Bowerstone Industrial, he couldn't but agree, though he did point out that "not all these soldiers are as honourable as me", though he swore he would keep men he trusted on watch.

There would still be camps dotted across the country which he would have to visit on a regular basis, but Milena was sure that she could excuse herself from her duties for a few days.

Since the incident in the temple, Ben had been able to sleep at night again, though the nightmares still touched him from time to time, and so he was behaving a lot more like his usual self. It was heartening to see him joke and laugh so freely.

It had been just over a month since Aurora, and the 'Desert Star', as Hobson named it, had been sold, the money gained going straight into the treasury. Yet another day sat in the throne room had mean the restoration of child benefits, the renovation of the Bowerstone shelter and orphanage, the plans for a sewage plant and the arrest of the notorious Nigel Ferret, but at the cost of four hundred thousand gold coins.

Luckily, Milena's work had paid off, and she was earning up to three hundred thousand a week had she spent her entire week in the smithy, and they were already up to around five million, so, considering how far away the attack was, the future was looking brighter than it had been some weeks before.

Ever since he'd arrived at his new camp, Ben had been spending quite a bit of time with her brother in the war room, or at least so Walter had informed her, discussing what the Crawler might do. Those discussions usually turned into arguments, during which time no progress was made, but on the rare occasions where they were able to keep their tempers down, it was possible to see the progress they'd made in the notes they'd scribbled across the desk and the arrangements of the models on the map.

Ben seemed to be handling everything well, but there was one thing she still needed him to do which she knew he could not.

Grabbing a piece of paper from her desk, she wrote a quick note and gave it to one of her servants to deliver it to him.

As soon as the maid left, she silently hoped he would get it in time, otherwise all would be lost.

* * *

><p>Walking along the corridors of the castle, Ben wondered why he had been 'summoned'. The note had been incredibly vague, only saying that Milena wanted to show him something, but no matter how hard he tried to visualise what it was, he was stuck in the dark.<p>

As she approached the throne room, where she had asked to meet him, he took a deep breath and tried to quiet his racing heart.

Over the past few months, he had found it increasingly difficult to think about her without his heart racing at a gallop inside him, but it was only recently when she would just pop into his head without any warning, distracting him from his task.

Logan had noticed these moments in their discussions, which was probably how most of the arguments began, though he never asked what they were about, for which he was grateful. Tell the ex-tyrant that his sister, the Queen, had been haunting his thoughts? No thank you.

Well… maybe _haunting_ wasn't exactly the right word… but it had the right meaning behind it.

"He majesty is waiting for you inside, sir," one of the guards said, his face completely straight, before opening the door for him.

Nodding his thanks, the Major stepped inside and was surprised to find it almost completely empty.

As the door closed behind him, Ben continued down the carpet towards the throne, where the Queen was sat, smiling at his confusion.

"It's my birthday next month," she stated, standing up.

"Oh? Would you be wanting anything in particular?" he asked.

Milena smirked, "If I can remember correctly, whenever a monarch celebrates their birthday, it is… customary, shall we say, to have a ball. As a Major in my army, you have to attend."

Ah.

"Therefore, I shall be teaching you how to dance."

He stared at her. "D-dance?"

She nodded.

"But… but you're the Queen! Surely you could get someone else to-"

"I decided," she interrupted, "on that night, when you so gracefully stood on my feet," he glanced at the floor, "that you would have no chance with one of the dance instructors."

Ben coughed, "And why is that?"

Milena descended the stairs until she stood right in front of him, "I know you, Major Benjamin Finn. You do not take instructions from anyone that has not earned your trust, and so those fancy instructors would call you a hopeless case."

He rubbed the back of his neck. She did know him.

"I've been called worse things," he said, hoping it would get him out of the dreaded lesson, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"I'm sure you have, but, starting today, I am going to teach you how to dance."

"I already know how to dance. Just not like you."

She smiled, and he could feel his heart race in his chest. "I know you don't want to be a gentleman, but you'll have to pretend," her eyes shone with mischief, "How else do you think you're going to make the nobles uncomfortable?"

He grinned. He liked the way she thought.

* * *

><p>The festivities for the Queen's twenty-first birthday had all been prepared. Banners had been hung, food had been cooked, wine, bought and musicians paid, and the only thing left was for the guests to arrive.<p>

As with all royal events, Milena was going to have to wait until after everyone else was there before she made her entrance. Hobson said it was something to do with creating an image for her people. She just thought it was to torcher her. She hated being scrutinised by all of those eyes. At the moment though, she was consulting her wardrobe for what she was going to ware.

It was true that she was leaving it too much to the last minute, but she had trusted her servants to pick out a suitable dress for her. Unfortunately, her trust had been abused, and the gown that they had placed on her bed was hideous. It was exactly the wrong colour of green, and it puffed out too much on the arms and skirt. She didn't even want to think about the corset she would have had to wear in order to fit into the waist.

Green. Who in their right mind thought that that colour suited her?

With a further inspection through her wardrobe, she realised that there was a distinct lack of dresses, save the one she'd worn on her coronation. It wasn't all that surprising though; she hated the things. They were far too impractical. But now she was Queen, it was expected of her.

Sighing, she closed the doors and sat down in the chair by the window.

What could she do? Was she to turn up to the ball in her usual bloodied clothing?

Her thoughts turned to her mother.

Queen Sparrow, as she had been widely known, was the first Queen of Albion for many years. She had to attend many occasions such as these, and was never seen by the nobility wearing the same… dress.

Escaping her room, she marched quickly over to a room she had not entered for many years.

Her mother's room had not changed since her last visit. There was a thin veil of dust hanging over most of the furniture and ground, but everything else had been left untouched.

So many memories tried to surface as she stood in the doorway. So many reasons why she should never touch this room, and so many others to have it demolished.

Shaking her head, Milena dispelled any of those thoughts from her mind and headed over to the wardrobe.

Unlike herself, Queen Sparrow owned many dresses. Big ones, small ones, blue ones, red ones… even one or two yellow ones. But no green ones.

Her mother must have had better tastes than Milena's servants.

Looking through them, she eventually found one she had the least emotional ties with and pressed it against her as she looked in the mirror.

Yes. This one suited her perfectly.

* * *

><p>Major Finn of the Swift Brigade. That was how they had introduced him when he'd entered that hall.<p>

There were more people there than the last time, though that was probably because he was running a little late.

His talk with Logan that afternoon had been a lot more beneficial than most, and it was only when Walter had arrived to warn them that the Queen was nearly ready that he realised just how late it was.

Whispers had risen as he passed different groups of people, and there were many giggles that sprung from the younger girls. He heard snatches of conversations. Most of which involved how the Queen was still unmarried and who her best suitor was, but there were a few that spoke of that kiss they had shared down in the servant's quarters.

Some said that it was only a kiss, other said some more… rather elaborate things. Things that made him laugh. He knew the power of a rumour far too well. Even though they usually contained the truth, a rumour was like a fire. It grew and spread as quickly as the wind, and there was no stopping it.

He would have loved to dissuade them, for Milena's sake more than his, but he knew that any attempt to quiet them would only seem to confirm them. It was all a matter of patients, talking to the right person and having the right conversation.

Of course, no one dared to ask the Queen if these rumours were true, so Ben ended up in the centre of a fairly large crowd, explaining that it was only a kiss or two, and that was all. There would always be a few who wouldn't believe him, but, for the most part, he didn't have to worry _too_ much about the scandals. However, there was only so much a man could stand.

Luckily though, he was rescued by a brave knight.

"Ben!" Walter cried as he spotted him, "I haven't seen you in ages my boy!"

"Wally!" he replied, catching the man's offered hand, "Weeks, surely."

The crowd started to dissipate as they noticed this was a meeting of old friends, going off to find new conversations as they waited for the lady of the hour.

"Thanks," the Major whispered, "I thought I'd never get rid of them."

"You don't think you're the only one who's been in a corner like that, do you?" the old man asked, laughing, "I remember when Queen Sparrow gave me a peck on the cheek, and within a week everyone was going on about how we were having an affair!"

Ben joined in his mirth, "Don't think I heard that one!"

"Well, she made sure they understood it was nothing more than a rumour," he replied, "Now your rumour… I recon there's more than a little bit of truth in it, considering the way you stare at her."

"I… I do not stare!" Ben retorted, his cheeks going red.

That only made the knight laugh louder, "You have feeling for her, boy. You may not have admitted that to her yet, or even to yourself, but they're there, and you can't deny that."

He felt like he should reply, but words escaped him.

Walter gave him a kind smile, "She's not like all those other girls you've fallen for. And I bet you this feels different than it did with them."

He gave him a dumb nod.

The old man put a hand on his shoulder, "I think Milena-"

Suddenly, the trumpets blared and the grand doors opened wide.

Queen Milena was here.

**AN - Not much of a cliff hanger, I know, but you still have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happens! Mwahahaha!**

**I liked this chapter. It's nice to just write about the boring stiff from time to time, and pushing relationships along usually happens during these times. It's too bad Walter got interrupted... :P**

**On another note, this is officially my longest story (so far)! I think that calls for a celebration!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and yes, iamfinn, I will write as fast as I can to get the next one out ASAP, though it may be difficult with the Queen's jubilee tomorrow...**

**Until next time!**


	15. Presents for the Birthday Girl

**Presents for the Birthday Girl**

Milena's hand was wrapped gently around her brother's arm as she entered the ball room, his strength and experience seeping into her, keeping her from running. Even though she'd already been through such an ordeal as this before, after her coronation, she knew that this was going to be much worse.

The ball after she'd been crowned had been only that; a ball. There was dancing, drinking, talking and eating, but this time, the nobles would be adding something else onto the plate; marriage.

Logan had told her that after the first couple of months, all the lords and ladies would parade their children before her, hoping that one of them would catch her eye. All the young men would be working their charms to get into her favour, and there was no doubt a few older ones would try as well.

It was a terrifying concept. Being nothing but a thing for people to fight over in order to gain power, _her_ power, was insulting. Being forced to choose a man to rule over her, with greater power than her own, was depriving. But worst of all, being trapped in some kind of loveless marriage for the rest of her days was unthinkable.

This ball was the perfect moment for them to start their attack.

At the moment though, they were all just staring.

She had to smile when she noticed how a few jaws had dropped when they noticed her.

The dress she had chosen was sky blue in colour, the bodice covered in detailed silver lines and her sleeves stopping at her forearms, draping down to her hips, though her gauntlets remained uncovered. She had worn her hair down, though there were two plaits that had been tied with silver thread like a crown atop her head.

As always, she refused to wear anything but her boots, but they had once again been covered by the gown which almost draped along the floor.

Queen Sparrow had been a tall woman, and though Milena may not have been as tall as her, she was close.

"Her majesty, the Queen of Albion, and her brother, Prince Logan," the herald cried, signalling for them to make their way through the crowds and onto the dance floor.

As the crowds parted, the orchestra struck their first chord, and began the celebrations.

Logan was, and always had been, and amazing dancer. He had taken lessons, on their father's insistence, since he was eight years old, and nine years later, Milena had followed. However, where her brother had been the perfect student, she had always been rebellious, preferring to play the Hero instead of following an old man's instructions.

It was only when Logan had personally taken her on that she began to make any progress. And now, over a decade later, the two siblings were floating across the room, following the beat of the music, spinning and stepping through the rhythms.

Every so often, Milena would allow herself to glance over her brother's shoulder to look at the others dancing with them, or the people watching at the side. She couldn't see anyone she knew. There were hundreds of smiling faces, but they were all strangers to her… until a certain grin drew her attention.

There he was, bold as brass in his new uniform, stood next to the man she could only call her father figure.

Ben didn't have that look of expectance that everyone else had. He wasn't scrutinising her, he was just looking at her for what she was, a slight whisper of awe in his smirk. He seemed to be the only person in that room, Walter and Logan included, that didn't care whether she was married or not, didn't care about whether she looked perfect or not, but that she was comfortable and was enjoying herself.

Smiling back at him, Milena silently promised him the next dance.

* * *

><p>When the Queen approached him, Ben tried to hide a laugh from the reactions of those around him. Ignoring the gasps and whispers, he followed her many weeks of lessons and bowed, kissing her on the hand.<p>

"I would be honoured," he said in reply, holding his hand behind his back, like a true gentleman.

As they walked onto the floor, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Having so many nobles staring at him was unsettling.

As the music began, they prepared themselves in the same way they had done during those lessons, and they started to pace the room.

As they danced, Ben found that the music began to fade as he started to lose himself in the beautiful eyes that stared back at him. His breathing increased, even though the dance wasn't particularly fast, and his hands became sweaty.

If he had not been holding onto the most precious thing in all of Albion, he would have wiped his hands on his trousers. As it was, he had to keep his fingers wrapped around hers, and finish the dance.

He tried to look away, but he was entranced, unable to remove her from his sight.

She really was beautiful. Every time he had seen her, the same thought had been running through his head, over and over again. She is too beautiful for words.

When the dance was finally over, though he regretted having to let her go, he bowed again and walked Milena to her next dance partner.

Making it back to Walter's side, he let out a deep breath, and smiled.

"Balls," the knight said, looking him up and down, "Since when could you dance like that?"

Ben frowned, "Like what?"

Walter raised one of his eyebrows, "'Like what'. Pah! You were like a real gentleman out there, you know that? All grace and etiquette… If I didn't know you, I'd have thought you came from a noble background!"

"But you do, and you know I come from a real pig sty of a hamlet," he replied with a grin

The old man squinted his eyes, "What have you got up your sleeve?"

"What?" he said, looking innocent, "Do I need a hidden agenda for dancing well?"

"Yes."

You had to hand it to him, the man knew him. "Well, believe it or not, there isn't one. Mil… The Queen just thought it would be a good idea if I knew how to dance."

He didn't seem convinced, "So you spent hours listening to an old man tell you how to move 'gracefully'?"

"No."

They stood in silence for a few moments, Walter frowning at him, until the look of realisation washed over his face.

"So that's what's been going on!" he murmured, grinning, "You lucky bastard!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Walter slapped his arm, "Of course you don't. But whether you did or not doesn't really matter. People will be talking about that dance of yours for weeks!"

Ben grinned, "You think so?"

The knight laughed, "Not only did you show up most of these stuck up pricks, she chose you before anyone else! Excepting Logan of course."

He hadn't thought about it like that.

His grin grew wider, "She did, didn't she."

Sighing, Walter shook his head, "Come on, Ben, let's go find somewhere a little quieter, before you do something more stupid than usual."

* * *

><p>Milena was alone on the balcony just outside of her old room, breathing the cold night air as she sipped on a glass of wine. Being surrounded by eager parents and boasting young men had finally become too much, and she had escaped, leaving them all behind.<p>

There were a few others in the garden, but they hadn't noticed her. Or they had but had decided not to disturb her. It was a good job they did, otherwise she'd probably end up hitting them.

This wasn't how a birthday was supposed to be! It was supposed to be fun and happy, spent celebrating in the way she wanted! Not nerve-racking and terrifying, with every moment possible spent hiding away in the shadows. Mind you, it had been the same story during the past few years, though no one had really been paying her much attention, so she'd been able to get away with more.

"Shouldn't you be inside?" asked a familiar voice, "It is your party after all."

Looking down, she found the Major smiling up at her. Laughing, she signalled for him to come up.

"It's not my party," she explained when he'd reached her side, "It might be my birthday, but it's not my party."

Ben nodded, "You'd have thought you were some kind of horse the way they were talking about you when I left." He frowned curiously at her, "You're… not a horse are you? I mean, if you are, you are a _very_ good looking-"

"Ben!" she cried, punching him in the arm as he sniggered.

"Horse or no," he said, rubbing his arm, "you've got one hell of a punch."

Milena smiled, leaning back on the banister and looking over the garden.

They remained in a comfortable silence for a while, just standing there, enjoying each other's company. It was only when Tyson turned up and started sniffing at Ben's jacket.

"Hello boy!" he said, kneeling down, "Where've you been hiding?"

"Hobson insists that I keep him away from festivities such as these," the Queen explained, watching him rub the dog's head, "So I have to keep him in my old room." She motioned the door which was slightly ajar behind her.

The major looked at it briefly before returning his attention to the canine, "You could smell it, couldn't you. There's no hiding anything from your nose." Standing, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small pile of folded paper, covered in his handwriting, "It's not a birthday without presents."

Unfolding the pile, she read the first few words, ""The life and adventures of Benjamin Finn." Oh Ben-!"

"I had to tell you, one way or another," he said, holding up his hands, "This seemed like the only way I'd be able to do it without making too many inappropriate jokes, or just refusing to speak."

As he looked back at the papers, his eyes showed regret, but he shook it off.

Milena smiled, "Thank you, Ben. This means a lot."

He shrugged, "Well, since you did save me, twice, I thought you might want to know what you've saved." And with that, he started to descend the stairs again.

He was leaving? Why would he… "Wait!"

He froze mid-stride, turning back to face her.

"It's my birthday," she said, "Aren't you going to give me a birthday kiss?"

He stared at her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to keep on walking. But then it was like something inside him had clicked.

In an instant, his lips were pressed against hers, their breath caught in their lungs.

As they parted, Ben breathed deeply, "I've been waiting to do that all night."

"Why didn't you do it sooner?" she asked, staring into his eyes, thinking back to their dance.

Grinning, he pulled her back into his arms, and the night was perfect.

* * *

><p>The night was perfect. Nothing could have dampened his spirits. He could still taste her on his tongue. It tasted like fireworks.<p>

Ben had walked with a smile with his face all the way back to the camp, and on some occasions, he even started to whistle. He never whistled.

He knew that giving her those pieces of paper had been the right thing to do. How could he have hesitated before? It made no sense. She needed to know his past. All of it. Even the less than noble parts.

As he passed through the city gates, he gazes at the sight that was home. The hundreds of tents that had been picketed over the landscape and the light from fires showed just how many troops there were. There were at least another dozen sites like this over Albion that thousands of soldiers, such as himself, called home.

Most of them didn't have the right equipment, or the uniform, as there hadn't been enough money, but they were all getting the proper training. It was up to Milena to fund the army, and it was good to know that there were already around five million gold coins in the treasury, so Ben didn't worry himself with such thoughts.

As long as they knew how to use the weapons they were given, had food on their plates and a roof over their heads, then they would be fine.

Making it back to his tent, he sat next to the fire with some of his friends.

"Look who's returned!" one of them cried, "We though' we was gunna lose you to them nobles!"

He laughed, "They've got nothing on you fine boys!" he replied, earning him a few cheers.

Lieutenant Harrison offered him a drink, which he accepted.

"So," Private Vincent said, "What happened?"

"Who says anything happened?"

The boys looked at each other, one or two tossing coins over to others. Of course this was going to be the centre of a wager.

"What was it like?" Freddy asked, nudging him.

"What, that ball?" Ben asked, taking a sip of his ale.

Some of them laughed, "Yeah… sure."

He squinted at them, "I arrived late, so everyone stared at me," more laughter, "It's not funny! Everyone wanted to know if I really had kissed the princess-"

"Which you did."

More cheers.

Smiling, the Major continued, "She arrived and danced with her brother-"

"Wha'? Tha' murderin' bastard?"

Some murmurs rose.

Ben sighed. There was no point arguing, "And then she danced with me."

Harrison snorted, "You? Dance? Yeah right!"

He shrugged, "Well, she did ask, so I couldn't really say no."

Someone spat out their drink, coughing so hard someone next to them had to hit them on the back. "_She_ asked _you_?"

He nodded, "And that wasn't all she asked me to do, either." They leaned in, "She asked me to give her a birthday kiss."

The men suddenly burst out in shouts of 'I knew it's and 'no's as more coins were passed around.

Freddy nudged him again, "What was it like?"

Ben stared incredulously at him. "Don't you know how to say anything else?"

The men laughed as the young Private blushed, but they all urged him on.

"Well… It was like… It tasted like fireworks. Like the whole world exploded!" he explained, "But her lips were as soft as… as… I can't describe them really. But it felt like… well, like there was nothing but us."

"You know what, Major," Harrison said, "I think you're in love."

"Major Finn in love? Yeah right."

"I bet you he is!"

"Oh really? Fancy putting money on that?"

Smiling, Ben retreated to his tent, leaving them to discuss their wager in peace, as he thought of her in his arms once more.

**AN - Yet another really enjoyable chapter to write.**

**I expect most of you know exactly what Ben's present was! But do any of you know where the story will go next? :P**

**It was difficult to get this chapter started, but after the first few sentences, it... just came.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this, and I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long (even if I do practically update daily).**

**Until next time!**


	16. Lost and Found

**Lost and Found**

Ever since she had read Ben's story, there had only been one question that had been on Milena's mind; where was William?

During the few weeks that had followed her birthday, an enquiry had been made as to the records of all prisoners kept within the city. The only thing Ben had known was certain, and that was the city where William had been taken, but nothing more.

Unfortunately, there were three prisons within Bowerstone's walls, not including the dungeons beneath the castle, and all of which kept their files in conditions that could not have been called appropriate for any kind of paper. These dank, moist storage rooms invited the worst kinds of mould and fungus which crept into the pages and destroyed any records it could get its fingers on. It didn't help that there wasn't any particular order to them.

Whenever she got a spare moment, Milena would look through the piles of rotting pulp that had been placed on her desk, trying to decipher the names scrawled in the boxes that had faded away on the parchment.

It had been a long week. Re-opening the Brightwall Academy had gone well with both the locals and the general populace, though there were a few nobles who were disgusted with the thought of sharing the halls with 'commoners'. Protecting the lake in Millfields had gone down well with everyone though, with the exception of Hobson of course, but the treasury remained full, despite his moans.

The worst part had probably been chasing after the damned balverine statue. She had visited Silverpines before, but it had not been infested by the beasts that had haunted its borders, nor had any of the locals become the leader of the pack, thirsting for blood and revenge.

Luckily, no one had been seriously hurt, and the pack had been taken down. The statue now stood in someone's home on display while the Treasury was a further five hundred thousand coins heavier, but the mysterious Finn brother remained elusive.

Today, that was going to change.

It had been yet another gruelling day in the smithy, it was the middle of the week, and Milena was soaking wet from the rain. A bath was a necessity, otherwise she ran the risk of pneumonia, but luckily there was already a steaming hot tub waiting for her in her quarters, her servants predicting the state she would be in.

Stripping herself of her clothes, she lowered herself into the water, sighing as she felt the familiar tingle of pins and needles as her extremities went numb. She stayed in there for a lot longer than she should have, letting her skin wrinkle, but when she finally removed herself from the tub, she went straight to her desk.

Names passed over her tongue like the wind through the trees; Thompson, Hammersmith, Ferry… the list went on and on, each new name landing in a new pile on the floor.

"Jefferson, Fredrick A. Imprisoned for theft. Punishment, three years," she said, putting yet another piece of worthless information away.

Picking up another, she frowned, sitting up. "Name; Finn, William J. Imprisoned for attempting to enforce an illegal con game in the presence of an officer. Punishment…"

Her eyes widened as she read on, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

She had to tell Ben.

* * *

><p>"-so we should be getting everything in the next few months."<p>

"That's great news sir!" the Lieutenant replies, smiling, "That way, we'll be able to train them efficiently."

Ben nodded, "Make sure the men know. It might be able to stop them fighting so muck."

"Yes sir," he replied and stepped out of the tent, the flap closing behind him.

Sighing, the Major collapsed onto his bed and covered his eyes with his hands. His day had been full, and he had only just returned from his travels, so he was sore from the journey. He had not been so lucky as to dodge the rain, but he dried himself off as much as he could with a spare piece of cloth.

When he heard the flap of his tent open again, he groaned.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until morning."

"No," came the reply, "I don't think it can."

As soon as he saw the intruder through his fingers, he sat bolt upright, "Milena!"

The Queen gave him a sullen smile. What could possibly have affected her so?

"Sit… Sit down, please," he said, moving his feet from the straw filled mattress. As she sat down, she looked at him again, eyes full of pity. "What is it?"

"I um…" she paused, fiddling with her cloak, "When I read your… history, I uh…" she swallowed, "I wanted to know what had happened to your brother. William."

Ben frowned, "I don't…"

"The prisons in this city, they have records of the criminals they have," she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, "It took me a while but…"

He let his eyes follow her fingers as she passed the sheet to him.

Once it was in his hands, he found he couldn't read it.

This piece of paper held the answer to the question that had been on his tongue for over a decade; was he the last of his family? But he wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer any more.

For years, he had been living on a small hope that his brother was only lost, but if he read this and he was dead… he didn't know what he would do.

"Ben?"

Taking a deep breath, he finally looked at the page.

"Name; Finn, William J. Imprisoned for attempting to enforce an illegal con game in the presence of an officer. Punishment… ten years," he looked up at her, "So, he's out?"

For a moment she didn't say anything, but then she looked at the paper again, "Keep reading."

"Notes; One year in – has a minor wound on his left leg from trying to escape. One year, six months; wound has been infected. It is too late to…" he shook his head, "No."

"I am so sorry, Ben."

The Major's eyes began to fill with tears, "He can't be… He wouldn't-"

He had to get out. This tent was too small. It was choking him.

Running from the shelter, he dodged between the fires and soldiers, ignoring their concerned cries, and headed towards the lake. Suddenly, his boots slipped on the wet grass, and he fell, landing heavily on his forearms. Pain began to throb through his arms, but it was nothing compared to the pain he was feeling inside.

His hopes had been dashed, his dreams destroyed, with those few words written on that small piece of parchment. Because of those words, he knew he was never going to see his brother again, all because he was too stupid to wait.

Ben heard voices behind him, but he didn't care. His heart was broken, and it felt like it would never be whole again.

Tears began to stream down his cheeks, and his arms shook from the desperation he felt.

As they dripped down his face, he felt something else touch his skin. A familiar sensation that sent sparks of heat through him. Looking up, he found his princess looking at him, sympathy showing in her eyes as she smiled.

Pulling her close, he held her, letting himself weep into her shoulder as her fingers wove themselves through his hair.

* * *

><p>She had stayed with him that night, remaining by his side. She was the shoulder to cry on, the one who protected him from the nightmares that plagued him, and made sure that he wasn't disturbed.<p>

It was a long night.

By the time morning came, Ben had scarcely slept more than a few hours, and Milena, even less, but the sun brought the end of the darkness, and the beginning of a new dawn.

She was sat on the bed next to the Major, who was staring into nothingness. He had no more tears left to cry.

He sighed, "I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

Putting a hand on his arm, Milena drew his attention to her, "Nonsense. You needed someone."

"But it didn't have to be you."

She let her lips curl up into a small smile and moved her hand into his, "Yes it did."

"But why?"

"Because I care for you, Ben. I care for you enough to know that you needed to know the end to your brother's story."

He nodded and looked down at his lap, smirking. "An infection," he laughed, "Damned stubborn kid, never could sit still. Had to go and try to escape."

Milena could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke, and she felt her heart melt. If only she could do something to ease his suffering…

"I wish I could have seen him again."

They remained silent for a few moments as she contemplated what to say.

"What was he like?" she finally asked, looking down into her hands that were now crossed in her lap.

"What?"

"You… You wrote about him, in your present, but you didn't write about him."

Ben looked quizzically at her, showing he didn't understand.

"You were very vague. I know he was a thief, I know he was the second eldest, and I know he was trying to pull some sort of con on an officer… but nothing else," she turned to face him, looking deep into his eyes, "It was almost as if it wasn't you who'd written it. Like I was reading someone else's words… only with your vocabulary."

He smiled at her last comment, "I was… kind of hoping you wouldn't notice."

"It was hard not to," Milena stated, "Walter said that you never went into any great detail with your men about it either. Not even him or…" She left her sentence unfinished when the man before her cringed. As much as she knew it hurt him, Major Swift was bound to come up at some point.

"So, you showed it to him then."

She blinked. "No. I just asked him what he knew about you." She smiled at the memory of the knight sat at his desk, "It was a very long, though vague tale. Like your manuscript."

Ben looked down at his feet momentarily, nodding. He took a deep breath and finally turned back, his eyes showing the pain he was feeling, but also the softness of acceptance.

"What would you like to know?"

* * *

><p>"William was about five years older than me. The last time I saw him, he was… about an inch taller than me, though he was always very thin. Mind you, we all were considering what we could afford. His hair was a little darker than mine, and his eyes were brown, like my mother's. I took after my father, you see. He was the one with blond hair and blue eyes… though I could never forgive him for that moustache.<p>

"The first thing I can remember about him, is that he carried me home one day after I'd fallen over and grazed my knee on the hill next to Gunk… where we lived. Well, you'd know that of course. I think I was three years old. He had freckles when he was a kid, and I remember I tried to wipe them off because I thought they were drops of muddy water.

"Anyway, after that happened, I spent a few years where I'd just follow him around, copy everything he did. My parents thought it was cute at first, but then, when they realised what he and my other brothers did, they didn't think it was such a good idea. It didn't stop me trying though. It eventually got to a stage where I was able to escape their means of keeping me away from my brothers; namely keeping me in my room, so, as I said in my present, they ended up using my innocent attempts to earn money for their own less than honest gains.

"Unlike Quentin and Jason though, he always came up to me after and apologised, telling me not to do the things they were doing. I suppose he was almost like a conscience in that aspect. He also taught me to read. I went to school and everything, but I found reading a little difficult at the start, so he helped me out. I don't think I ever thanked him for that. In fact, I distinctly remember throwing one of the books he gave me at his head at one point!

"Over the years, we became close. He spent the most time with me, and, or so I was told, it was his idea to get me the pellet gun. Out of all of us he was probably the smartest, but not book smart. He was almost always the one with the 'plan', and he knew the ins and outs of the market place and the people who went there. He was never caught, but that was probably because he was only working on small cons and could run fast. By the time he was seventeen though, he was looking at bigger things.

"That's probably why he ended up getting caught. Even though he was smart, Quentin wasn't, and without Jason there to help make decisions, their cons became more and more reckless… which is probably how he ended up getting caught in the first place.

"The last time I remember seeing him was when he was saying goodbye, saying he had 'a good feeling about this one'. I never saw him again.

"And you know the rest. Quentin was killed about a year later, my mother succumbed to grief within the next few months, and I ended up having to take care of my father and his shop for the next few years while he tried to get drunk as much as possible before he died when I was seventeen. But I think, out of all the losses, Will's will be the hardest to bear."

**AN - Yes, I know it's been a little longer than usual, but I suffered a major hit of writer's block (and the discovery of POTO... SO AWESOME!), so I think I'm going to pace myself a little more.**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter. I wasn't too sure if it would fit, but I think it does, though I can't believe I did that to Ben...**

**I haven't started the next chapter just yet, but I'm hoping I'll be able to update next week (yes, it will be a weekly update from this point on... hopefully)**

**Once again, and a belated;**

**Until next time!**


	17. The Thief

**The Theif**

Ben had held a little ceremony for himself the next morning, and Milena had made sure that he wasn't alone. Since then, so many things had happened. The money from the treasury was finally being put to some use, going into the funds for the ever growing army, and almost immediately being spent on weapons, ammunition, and gunpowder. Although the uniform was important, it wasn't as vital as the other equipment, and since the target still hadn't been met, it had taken a back seat, though it would help with protection.

It had been over a month now, and the treasury, though far from full, was beginning to regain some of its wealth, the Queen not taking any chances.

Hobson was, as expected, in an extremely solemn mood for some reason when Milena came to see him that morning, and she knew it could only be bad news.

Sighing, she walked up to him, knowing it would only be a matter of time before he caught her attention anyway, "What is it Hobson?"

The small man jumped slightly at her sudden appearance, having been lost in his own world , "Your Majesty! I um… Good morning!"

She rolled her eyes. She hated small talk, "Yes, good morning Hobson. Now what's the bad news?"

"Bad news?" he asked, trying to hide how nervous he was, "What bad news? Who said anything about bad news?"

She tilted her head to the side, "You did, by acting nervous and upset."

He stared at her for a few moments before he gave in, dropping his hands to the side, "We… There was… a break in."

Milena's eyebrows rose, but she remained silent.

Hobson started to sweat, "There wasn't much damage. A broken window… or two… And I think a few suits of armour might need to be sent down to the blacksmith's, but that was all! It won't be very expensive to fix… but…"

"Yes?"

The man swallowed, "They stole around five hundred thousand gold coins."

The way he looked at her made her feel like he was telling her that someone had taken Scythe's Warhammer, or her mother's guild seal, but it was something as insignificant as money? Money that could easily be replaced? She almost burst out laughing.

"Are you serious?" she asked, frowning at him as she repressed a smile, "Is that all?"

He returned her gaze, "But, your Majesty, that is quite a serious amount of money! How could we-"

"It can easily be replaced, Hobson," she explained to him, "Sure, it might take a bit of time, but we still have another six months before our deadline."

"But-!"

"Hobson!"

The blithering man withheld what he was going to say, biting the inside of his lip.

"I would like you to find the culprit behind this crime and bring them to me. They are not to be harmed in any way, or treated with any disrespect. If I hear that you, or anyone else has tried to influence said person or persons to admit to this crime, or anything else," pause for effect, "I will personally skin you, or them, alive. Do I make myself clear?"

"Cr-Crystal, your Majesty!" he stuttered, eyes wide in fright before running off towards the nearest doorway.

As soon as she was sure the dreaded man was gone, she let herself fall to the floor, laughing until her lungs felt like they would burst.

She had been waiting to do that for so long! His reaction was priceless! Whoever it was that had taken that money, before she punished them, she would have to thank them for giving her such an opportunity.

Avo, she loved being a Hero Queen sometimes.

* * *

><p>Logan was 'looking' at him again. He could just feel those dark eyes boring into him as he looked over the map.<p>

It had been the same story ever since Milena's Birthday ball, but every time Ben tried to catch him doing it, the prince would look away, and quickly move on to yet another strategy, and then, inevitably, lead them into an argument. Not that he'd ever admit it.

The Major had talked to Milena about it, but she refused to get involved, saying that her brother's business was his own, and if he wanted to know why Logan was staring at him, he should ask.

Of course, there had always been that sense that confronting him would only make matters worse, but Ben knew that if her didn't ask soon, he was going to explode.

"What?"

Logan blinked, mouth slightly open.

Ha! Caught you.

"Excuse me?" the Queen's brother asked, his tone rising as though he were insulted to be talked to in such a way.

Ben wasn't buying it. They'd been practically shouting at each other for the best part of half a year now. There was no way such a trivial thing as 'what' could provoke the infamous once tyrant's anger.

"You've been… examining me for about a month now, whenever you think I'm not looking," the Major said, turning his gaze to meet the Prince's, "And don't you go acting all insulted. I've said far worse to you since we started these meetings."

Things that probably should never have been said in a prince's presence.

Logan considered him for a few moments, his face blank, giving nothing away. Mind you, he almost always looked like that.

"But I am insulted, Major," he finally said, making one of Ben's eyebrows to rise, "I am insulted by how much my sister appears to enjoy your company. I am insulted that she is blatantly ignoring the more, shall we say, respectable suitors because of your relationship. I am insulted, Major Finn, by the rumours that have spread through the kingdom regarding your relationship."

Ben nodded slowly, thinking over the whispers he'd heard since that night. Luckily, though, there hadn't been any more here-say about them 'sleeping together'. If there had been, he was sure Logan would be far more insulted, and would probably have attacked him by now, "And you're only taking to me about this now?"

You had to admit, it was kind of amusing.

"You've had an entire month to be 'insulted' by these rumours, and you just let them? I've been in this room with you almost every other day since the ball, and yet all you've done is stare at me."

"We were busy with-"

"Planning?" Ben laughed, "You know that nine times out of ten, our 'planning' involves an awful lot of shouting and useless hours of talk. What's the real reason?"

The Prince scuffed his foot, his eyes moving onto the map.

He was nervous. By Avo, he'd actually made the great Tyrant nervous! This had gloating rights…

"I was scared."

He blinked, "Scared?"

Logan nodded, "Milena… Ever since I returned from Aurora, I have never given her reason to be happy. If anything, I've been taking them away.

"First, it was refusing to be the brother she had known, then, it was the suffering I inflicted upon my people, and finally, it was taking away the one boy – young man, almost – she had called a friend."

"Elliot."

He nodded again and finally turned to face him, "I was afraid that if I confronted you, I would be taking away yet another piece of happiness."

Ben stared at him, contemplating what he should say, "So… what did you think would happen?"

"I feared that…" Logan started, but reconsidered his words, "You make her happier than she's been in many years. I feared that if I had confronted you about your history, you would leave, or ignore her."

He couldn't believe it. This man would starve his curiosity, leave his questions unanswered, just so that his sister could be happy?

It was moving. But it was also ill advised.

"That's not an excuse."

Logan frowned.

Smirking, Ben continued, "You obviously don't have much experience with men taking an interest in her, do you?" It was a rhetorical question, but the Prince looked like he was going to answer anyway, so he pushed on, "I know it's important that she's happy, and I'm pretty sure she is, but it's your job to make sure she's safe.

"Since your father is… absent, it's up to you to make sure that the man she's with – me – is a good, reliable person. You have to make sure he's not going to hurt her in any way, that he's not going to push her into anything she's not ready for, and that you'll kill me if anything bad happens to her. Things like that, you know?"

"I… I think so," he replied, frowning, "And are you?"

"What? Oh no! I'd never do anything to harm her," he explained, turning back to the table, "I wouldn't listen to any of those rumours either. Most of them aren't true."

He could almost feel Logan's eyebrow rise, "Most?"

Ben cringed. Damn, I've been caught!

* * *

><p>Milena examined the boy stood before her as she sat in her less than comfortable throne. She shuffled slightly, trying to find a soft spot, but it wasn't working.<p>

Groaning, she stood up, scaring the boy in front of her, before walking down the steps.

The child was named Harold, and he was the son of a butcher, though too proud to live at home. He was a self-proclaimed pick pocket, and was probably only about ten years old. His boots were too big, sleeves too long, and she was fairly sure there were the remains of several meals on his shirt. He was also shaking.

Sitting down on the third step, she patted the ground next to her, "Come here Harold, you look like you're going to fall over in a minute."

The boy hesitated, glancing cautiously at her and Hobson who was stood next to throne where Walter would usually have been, only, the old man had decided to check on the army.

Looking over her shoulder briefly, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I don't trust him either. He's too fat for a butler, don't you think?"

Harold laughed slightly, though he stopped when he looked at the man, and slowly came to sit next to her, holding his knees in his arms.

"So," Milena began, in a slightly louder voice, "I've been told that you seem to have taken five hundred thousand gold coins!"

He nodded abashedly, "Yes mam."

"And from my treasury, no less!"

Another nod, "Yes mam."

"Would you like to explain why you need so much money?"

He gulped, "Well, you see… It's my mum, your majesty."

"Yes?"

"My dad, he beats her and… and she's too scared to get the guards involved, so I was gunna use the money to get me and mum away from him, you see."

Milena frowned, "Yes, I see. What does your mother do, Harold?"

He sniffed, "She likes to do gardening a lot. 'Specially flowers. Tulips are her favourites," he thought for a moment, a finger tracing the outline of a stain, "And she makes the best mashed potatoes in all the world!"

"I'm sure she does."

Harold turned to face her, eyes filled with fear, "Please don't send me home! He never touches me, but it hurts when he hurts her!" He clung to her arm as tears slowly started to fill his eyes.

Smiling, Milena put an arm around him, "Don't you worry, I would never do that to you. And I think there's a distinct lack of flowers in the castle gardens. Do you think your mother could help?"

The child's face lit up immediately, "Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He almost ran off, but she kept a hold of him, "Wait a minute!" When the boy was settled, she grinned, "You do realise you're going to have to give back the money you stole."

He nodded.

"And you're never to pick pocket or steal anything again, yes?"

Another nod.

"Good. Now, after we send off for your mother, I need to show you to someone."

Giving her a confused look, Harold rose with her and took her hand as they left the throne room, leaving a baffled and speechless butler next to the throne.

* * *

><p>"And I say that Bowerstone should have soldiers on every street!"<p>

"But that would thin them out and make their forces less effective against-"

Logan's cries became silent as a knock came from the door. It was soft, yet loud enough to command their attention.

Ben could recognise Milena's knock anywhere.

"Come in," the Prince said, pulling the hair that had fallen in front of his eyes back over his head.

Slowly, the door opened, and the Queen of Albion stepped in, with a young street urchin in tow.

"Good afternoon gentlemen," she said politely, "I hope I'm not disturbing anything."

The Major could see the playfulness in her eyes, "Nothing that can't wait. Is there something you wanted?"

Milena's smile brightened. Whispering something to the boy to make him smile and nod, she turned her gaze towards him, "Major Finn, so kind of you to ask! My young friend and I need to talk with you a moment."

Returning her grin, he looked at Logan, who gave him a nod, "Of course."

After leaving the room, he glanced at Milena from the corner of his eye as she led them out into the courtyard at the front. Once they'd reached the bottom of the stairs, she dropped the boy's hand and crouched down in front of him.

"Do you remember I told you I was going to show you to someone?"

The boy nodded.

"Well, Harold, I would like to introduce you to Major Benjamin Finn of the Swift Brigade."

The boy's eyes widened in awe as he looked at the soldier. It made Ben grin.

"How do you do Harold," he said, holding out his hand, "It's nice to meet you."

The boy put his small hand in his and stared at it after they shook. It looked like he was never going to wash it again.

"So, what did you do to make the Queen drag me out to see you then?"

The question was innocent enough, but Harold turned his face away in shame.

Looking over to the young lady next to him, she explained that he'd stolen about half a million gold coins.

He blinked, "Well, I've got to say, I'm impressed."

Harold gave him a shocked look, "But… but it was wrong!"

"Yes it was, and I'm glad that you know that," he crouched down so that he was looking up at him, "But not only did you steal that money, you stole it from the Queen's treasury! I mean, there's got to be at least ten guards between it and any exit."

He nodded again.

"You have to have been really scared when you snuck past all of those servants too."

Another nod.

"You must be even more brave than I am! I could never do something like that."

"Really?" the boy asked, starting to brighten up.

"Really. But you're not allowed to do something like that, otherwise you could get in some very serious trouble. You were lucky it was Queen Milena that caught you. She's a very nice lady."

"Yes she is!" he exclaimed, "And she'd saving me and my mum from my dad! She is awfully nice!"

Ben was about to reply when a woman cried out from behind him, making him turn around.

"Mummy!" Harold shouted, and ran past them, straight into the woman's arms.

Smiling, both Ben and Milena stood.

"You know, that's a great thing you've done there," Ben said quietly.

Milena shrugged, "It was the right thing to do. And besides, he gave me a chance to threaten Hobson."

"And I missed it? Damn. I would have given my rifle to see that."

**An - I know, I know, I said I'd update sooner, but I ended up getting flooded with things I had to do, so don't blame me!**

**I thought this would make a nice chapter. Things needed to calm down a bit after the previous chapter, and I noticed that Logan hadn't turned up fro a while, so 'the talk' seemed like a good place to go.**

**I have started the next chapter now, but I am making no promises as to when that's going to be published. I'm still suffering from the whiplash of my writers block, so don't expect anything too soon.**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until next time!**


	18. Three months till Dday

**Three months till D-day**

The weeks had passed slowly, and seasons changed. Winter came and went in the lowlands, and the soldiers in the army were grateful for the thick uniforms that had been made for them with the remainder of the treasury money. There had been reports of sickness that had been going around, but the Queen, gracious as she was, made sure that everything that was humanly possible was done for each individual.

The people spoke of her in great reverence and joy. She was truly the best monarch that they could ever have hoped for. In fact, even more so.

Not a single person was left to fend for themselves on the street. The beggars had been given homes, and the economy, which had come close to collapsing, had been restored.

Once the snows had cleared, and the roads in the highlands had thawed enough for people to travel, Sabine, along with a small escort, arrived, just in time to meet Kalin and her entourage as they docked in Bowerstone Industrial.

It was three months before D-day.

Sitting on a now much more comfortable throne, thanks to the ingenious invention called 'the pillow', Milena was ready for the day's proceedings to begin.

Kalin stood before her, ready to argue her case as to why Aurora needed to be protected, and Reaver to the woman's left (or Milena's right, depending on which way you looked at it), more than likely already prepared with some scheme or another.

Avo, how she just wished she could skip all of this and make her decisions without all the foreplay.

"You may speak," she said, allowing them to plead their cases.

Kalin nodded reverently and stepped forwards, "Your majesty, as you know, the threat from the deserts that surround my city had not diminished. The darkness could fall upon us once more at any moment.

"Aurora is part of your kingdom now, and I ask that you grant us protection. Build a desert outpost that can warn my people should the Crawler attack. It shall allow us to leave the city in time, and ensure the survival of your loyal subjects."

Milena nodded to her and turned to Reaver, who had suddenly started laughing.

"A desert outpost? I have never heard such nonsense. What shall we do next? Erect taverns under the sea? Plant crops on mountain peaks? It is a foolhardy suggestion. Why should our valiant soldiers suffer sunstroke and chapped lips in a desert land when they could be protecting the people of this very city?

"Is it really worth risking the lives of all the people outside these walls for a mere alarm system? Of course not. Let us leave the funds where they belong. Right here."

Sighing, the Queen turned her head to Walter as he came to add the 'neutral role', as he always did in these situations.

"The darkness poses a threat to us all," he explained, "but Aurora has already suffered more than its fair share. The final decision rests with you, your majesty."

Of course it did. It always did. Mind you, she had no idea why they kept asking her what her decision would be in regards to her promises. She would have thought that they had realised that she wasn't going to abandon them.

"Kalin, I promised you that I would protect all of my subjects," Milena said, "and I intend to keep that promise. I find it our duty to build this outpost."

Cheers rose from the crowd that had gathered.

"The Queen's decision is final," Walter declared, "A military outpost shall be built in the deserts that surround Aurora."

Kalin smiled, "We shall not forget this gesture," the leader of the Auroran peoples bowed again, "Aurora thanks you."

Reaver, on the other hand, shook his head, but his smile remained, as ever, pasted on his face, "Ah, you are a whimsical monarch, and that is why you are so beloved. Very well, it shall be done. I shall expect my payment tomorrow."

Of course he did.

Giving a signal to her old teacher, Walter called for a short break so that people could leave and entre, ready for the next part of the day's proceedings.

Before she ran out of time, Milena escaped through the side door which connected directly to the war room.

* * *

><p>It seemed that today was going to be one of those days where some sort of progress was going to be made.<p>

When the small hamlet of Driftwood had come up, both Ben and Logan had agreed that they didn't have enough men to secure it, so the inhabitants were going to have to be moved to Millfields a few weeks before the attack. The problem now though was where they were going to stay.

"I'm sure the local tenants would be kind enough to let them stay in their homes," Logan had said, "They have plenty of room, and they would be ensuring the safety of dozens of people."

Ben snorted, "Look, even you have to admit that something like that could never happen without quite a lot of persuading. The Nobles think themselves above everyone else, especially those who live in Driftwood. They were forced out of Millfields because of that very reason!"

The Prince cringed, "Yes… I had forgotten about that."

They remained staring at the map for a few moments.

What were they to do?

"I suppose we could ask the people of Driftwood to set up a temporary encampment on the shores of the lake," Ben said, looking at how much space there was around the water's edge, "I don't think the Noble would like that much either, but it's better that asking them to take them into their own homes. At least for them anyway."

Logan nodded, "I agree. I think-"

Suddenly, the door leading to the throne room opened, and Milena stepped through, closing it swiftly behind her.

It took her a moment to realise that they were there, but when she did, she smiled.

"Ben! Logan!" she exclaimed, "Thank Avo you're here. You can take my mind off of all this 'royal court' business."

"Actually, sister," her brother said, "We were about to take a short break. If you'll excuse me…"

And with that, he left the room, leaving them staring after him with baffled looks on their faces.

"Does he hate me or something?" Milena asked, pulling Ben out of his confused stupor.

"No. He might hate me, but not you. Who could ever hate such a beautiful, kind young woman?"

She laughed, slowly making her way towards him, "I could say the same thing about you! All charming and handsome and-"

He silenced her with his lips, stopping more words from tumbling out of her mouth as she relaxed in his arms. The familiar taste of lightning and fireworks electrified him, sending jolts of electricity through his body, making him feel alive.

Eventually, he drew away and grinned, his eyes staring into hers, "You know, if you keep saying things like that, I might just start to believe you like me."

"Perish the thought," she replied before pulling him back into a lip-lock.

During the past few months, the pair had grown braver when it concerned their relationship, openly giving each other kisses on the cheek and the like, but nothing more. It was still too early, at least in Milena's eyes, to show how far their relationship had progressed. Ever the gentleman, Ben had willingly gone along with this. Plus the element of secrecy made it seem that much more exciting and dangerous.

Moments like this were few and far between, but that's what made them special.

Unfortunately, these moments could never last.

A knock came from the door to the throne room, and they separated quickly, just before Walter poked his face in to warn Milena that Sabine and Reaver were ready.

"Of course, Walter," she said, "I'll be right out."

Giving Ben a knowing look, the knight left.

"I'll see you after then?" he asked as she started to make her way to the door, "Same place as always?"

Smiling over her shoulder, she nodded, and then she went through the doors, the Hero Queen of Albion once more.

* * *

><p>Sabine, as always, was accompanied by Boulder, one of the biggest men Milena had ever seen, though with a kind and childish heart. He was sat in the corner with Tyson, petting the eager dog. She was quite sure that, if he were able to, Boulder would stay the whole day in that corner.<p>

As it was, there was a choice to be made, and so, she turned to face the two men stood before her.

Well, one was stood, the other was crouched slightly.

"You may speak," she said, nodding to the leader of the Dwellers.

Sabine stepped forwards, "I come here seeking nothing but what was promised me and my people. You pledged to restore our home mountains and our right to dwell in them. We have fulfilled our end of the bargain. We have paid with our very lives to sit you on that throne, now you must fulfil your end.

"Undo the damage your brother did to our land and our agreement shall be satisfied."

Turning to face Reaver, Milena braced herself for his argument, whatever it may be, even though she knew there was no point in doing so.

"Your majesty. This sounds both an unnecessary expense and an impudent demand. What value is there…?"

She could still taste him on her tongue, she realised. That lingering essence that filled her with joy and energy sitting in her mouth. She let Reaver's words fade away as she remembered that moment they had shared just a few minutes before.

If only they could have more moments like that…

Suddenly, she realised that they were all looking at her again, and she blinked herself back into focus.

"…a promise to Sabine, but it's up to you whether you decide to honour it." Walter said, giving her the reigns.

Standing, so that the entire room could see her, Milena addressed the people in the hall, "I will keep the promise that I swore to you, Sabine. The Mistpeak mountains shall be restored to their former glory."

The Dwellers that had gathered shouted their thanks, several dancing together, and the Nobles clapped their approval, seeing once again the generosity of their Queen.

"Mistpeak shall become a protected region, and the Dwellers shall be granted authority over its forests and resources," Walter exclaimed, as though none of them had heard it.

You had to love the guy though. He was trying his hardest.

Sabine smiled up at her, "You are true to your word and your honour. The Dwellers will stand by you till the end."

Reaver just gave her a look and left. It was one of those looks that said "Doesn't matter, I still get paid".

Avo, how she hated that despicable man!

This time, Milena was able to leave through the main door, though she had to wait for everyone else to leave first. As she turned out of the door and towards her bedroom, she glanced out of the window.

The sky was getting darker with each passing minute, and it was already a bright pink.

Turning to find Tyson stood obediently next to her, tongue sticking out and tail wagging, she smiled, "Come on boy, we've got an appointment to keep!"

* * *

><p>The sky always looked beautiful at this time of day, but the smog from the city made it look that much more mysterious. It was almost as though the colours were painted on a canvas and hung up in the sky.<p>

Ben sighed, turning around to go back to the front of the grave.

He had been waiting for a few minutes now, though he didn't mind. It allowed him to appreciate the beauty that surrounded him.

Ever since Harold's mother, Madeline, had arrived, there had always been a lot more in the garden to divert his attention. Rose bushes had sprouted in various corners, tulips and rhododendrons plaguing the flower beds in some kind of organised chaos that could only fascinate him.

Unfortunately, not all the flowers were in bloom, but he could imagine what it would look like when it was.

Suddenly, he could hear the familiar bark of the Queen's dog as he ran towards him, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Hello boy!" he said, kneeling down and rubbing his head, making the dog close its eyes, "Did you miss me?"

"I think he misses everyone who greets him like that."

Ben smiled as Milena came down the path towards him, looking as radiant as always, her hair swaying softly in the breeze.

"So, have you finished everything for today?" he asked as he started to rub Tyson's belly.

"Yep. Just finished transferring all the funds for the army and everything else from the treasury," the Queen replied, "Don't think Hobson's very happy about how much money I've got left though."

Ben laughed, "I don't think he's ever happy with it!"

She giggled, "I swear he told me he started to sleep under the gold at some point!"

"Avo," he stood up, his face distorting into a look of disgust, "And you used it to fund the army? How can I sleep now knowing he touched the stuff with his slimy fingers?" He waved his fingers in front of him.

"I know what you mean," she grinned, but then her face turned solemn, "Speaking of sleep, have you had any more um… dreams, recently?"

The Major sighed. He knew the topic was going to come up at some point, but he'd been hoping it wouldn't have been so early. He nodded, "About six days ago. One of my lieutenants was able to wake me before it got too bad, but they're getting worse."

"Well, I suppose that's all we can expect. When the Crawler… _had_ you, it left its mark, like it did on me," she said, taking a step closer, arms held in front of her chest and a blind fear showing in her eyes, "Since it should be here in a few months, it's only logical that they would be getting worse. It must be getting stronger."

Pulling Milena into his arms, Ben stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. "But so are you!" he exclaimed, "The last time we saw it, it was just you, me and Wally, but this time we've got the entire Albion army and all of your friends! We beat it last time, so how can we lose now?"

He felt her nod into his shoulder.

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

"You guess?"

He heard her musical laugh escape her lips, "I _know_ you're right, Ben." Pulling his lips to meet hers, she smiled, "How could we possibly lose?"

**AN - I really enjoyed writing this chapter. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I finished it earlier than I thought I would. Then, with a little convincing from a friend... Hope you enjoy this early chapter guys! I was going to wait another few days, but... well, you know how it goes.**

**Things are finally starting to happen! If you played the XBox360 game, like I did, you'd know that this was the last stage before the attack happens, so it should only be another chapter or so!**

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! And, until next time! (No promises as to when that'll be though, as always)**


	19. Preparations and Defences

**Preparations and Defences**

It had finally come to the stage where the army had to be moved into their respective places, each taking their places in the forts that had been built over the past year around the different towns, cities and villages. In some places, there were areas within the towns in which the soldiers were able to retreat to.

The citizens themselves had begun their migration into the better protected areas, bringing only what they needed and small pieces of memorabilia. Temporary beds littered the floors of many buildings on higher ground, and the castle had been overrun by refugees.

The meals each day had been reduced to mashed potatoes (courtesy of Harold's mother), a selection of fruits and, if you were lucky, some mincemeat and gravy. Everyone was confined to the grounds as well, not allowed past the defences, just in case the Crawler attacked. The only way you would be allowed to go past them would be with an escort.

It was no way to live on a daily basis.

Milena had taken to visiting her parents' grave recently, asking them to grant her the courage to see her through this. Unfortunately for her though, they never graced her with their presence.

It was during one of these times of prayer that Walter came to give her the news.

Kneeling next to her mother's tomb, the Queen let her fingers caress the stone carving that decorated the top, listening to the constant dripping from the tunnel below. The Catacombs had been sealed off before anyone had arrived so that the hollow men inside were unable to reach anyone, protecting them from both sides, though there were guards posted in the garden as an extra precaution.

The scuffing of boots pulled Milena from her silence, and she blinked away her silent tears, wiping her cheeks with her fingers.

"Milena?"

Standing, she turned to face her old teacher, giving him a small smile, "Yes Walter?"

He returned it as he came forwards, "You know you shouldn't be down here."

"I know, it's just-"

"I miss them too," he said, stopping in front of her, "but we can't linger on the past. They're watching over you, Milena, and I know that they'd be proud."

She could feel her tears begin to fill her eye again, "Thank you Walter."

"Oh, come here." Pulling her into his arms, the knight let her cry into his shoulder.

They remained like that until she could regain control of herself and she pulled away, smiling up at him. "I don't know what I'd do without you Walter. You're more family than anything else."

"Oh balls to that," he grinned, "You'd do just fine. And besides, there's a blonde Major waiting for you at the end of the garden. Says he's got something to tell you."

Her eyes widened. "Ben's here? But it's still morning!"

He nodded, grinning, "You know, if I didn't know you I'd think you were falling in love with him."

Laughing, she hit him on the arm before running out the building, leaving him to chuckle to himself. Unfortunately for her though, the damage was done, and her cheeks had turned a bright cherry red.

Damn him! Why did he have to go and say that?

Once she'd reached the top of the stairs, she asked one of the guards where the Major was, who pointed towards the stone gazebo. Thanking him, she made her way over.

When she arrived, she froze.

Ben was leaning down on his knees, head held in his hands and his clothes ruffled and creased.

"Ben?"

When he looked up, his face only gave her more reason to fear for him. It was obvious that he hadn't slept for some time, his eyes bloodshot and red, and his usually trimmed stubble was wildly out of hand.

"Oh Ben," she said, kneeling down in front of him, taking his head in her hands, "Is it the nightmares?"

His eyes closed and he nodded. "It's the third night in the row now," he explained, "I… I don't think I'll be able to last much longer if I don't get any help soon."

Milena frowned. If he was admitting this much, then something was definitely wrong.

"You know the priestesses from Aurora can't come here now. The docks have been closed, and they have-"

"I don't _need_ the priestesses, I need _you_!"

* * *

><p>Ben watched as the shock was replaced by confusion in her face.<p>

"What?"

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his eyes open. "Do you remember when you found me in Aurora in the temple?"

Milena nodded, "Priestess Mara was helping you fight the darkness."

Giving her a wry grin, he shook his head, "I don't think she would have been able to do anything to help me, Milena." The Queen looked as though she was about to say something, but he stopped her. "I know what you think happened. I know you think that it was their prayers and chanting that brought me back. But it wasn't.

"I know you never brought this subject up because you thought it would hurt me, and believe me, I'm grateful for that, but… you have to know."

Milena's perfect brow wrinkled as her frown deepened.

"When I was... While I was in the darkness – when it had me – I could feel them trying to reach me, but it was like they were trying to take me away from something I felt like I belonged to. I didn't trust them. I _couldn't_ trust them. It was like…" he tried to think of a way to explain it, "It was like someone was trying to steal me from my mother's arms.

"Whenever they touched me, it was like ice or fire. It burned me to be touched by them. And their voices sounded cruel and false. But when I heard your voice, and when you touched me, it was like you were calling me home."

Her eyes widened, "I was…"

He smiled at her. "If it wasn't for you, Princess, I doubt I would have been able to fight it off much longer. I don't know what would have happened to me if-"

Suddenly, Milena's lips were on his, and he let himself sink into her embrace, letting every muscle relax. He trusted her with every ounce of his body, with his whole heart and soul. She was his only hope, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

As they parted, he could feel his lips slowly mould into a smile.

It was perfect.

_She_ was perfect, at least. He was a wreck. Damn those bloody nightmares!

He heard her giggle.

"That was a little more prickly than I'm used to," she mused, running her fingers over his cheek, the skin catching on the hairs as she passed over them, "When was the last time you shaved?"

Pleased to have a change of subject, he smiled, "What? You don't like my new look?"

Milena laughed, "The way you say that sounds like you did it on purpose!"

Ben widened his eyes, "How did you know I didn't?"

As she giggled, she stood up, pulling him up with her onto unsteady feet. "Now, let's tidy you up a bit," she said, tucking his shirt into his trousers and buttoning his jacket, "It wouldn't do to have a major of the Imperial army walking around like he'd just walked out of a tavern, would it."

"You wound me, my lady," he replied, holding a hand over his heart.

Once he'd been made to look a bit more presentable, Milena took his hand and pulled him towards the castle, ignoring the curious glances they were drawing towards them.

"Come on, I'm sure we'll be able to find you a razor and mirror somewhere."

* * *

><p>"Your majesty! What a pleasant surprise!"<p>

"Not now Jasper," Milena said, walking over to the map in the middle of the room, "I need to go to Aurora."

"Aurora?" the butler asked, "but whatever for? Surely they-"

"I don't have time to explain," she stated, reaching out to the city in the desert, "I'll tell you about it after. I promise."

Then, with a flash of bright blue light, the Sanctuary dissolved into the stone walls that was the Auroran temple. Luckily, there wasn't anyone there when she appeared, so she didn't have to explain how she travelled there. At least, not yet anyway.

The city was very quiet, almost silent if it hadn't been for the children playing or the steady hammering of hot metal. However, the temple was anything but calm.

Priests and Priestesses ran every which way carrying different ointments and the like, mumbling under their breath as they went. They were so preoccupied that they didn't even notice it when Milena came up to the main alter.

Several unconscious civilians were lying on cots on either side of the path, and there were a few priestesses that went in-between them, occasionally stopping to spoon something into their mouths or light a new stick of incense. What was wrong with them?

Eventually, she found Priestess Mara in the dye room. She was grinding some of the flowers that Milena had found in the desert in a mortar. As she stepped closer, Milena noticed that several of the dyes that had been made since their making had been used.

"As honoured as I am that our Queen has graced us with her presence," Mara said, making her jump, "I doubt it is to ask of our wellbeing."

When she put it like that, it sounded so bad!

"It's Ben," she replied simply, "He's not sleeping again because of the nightmares."

The priestess nodded, "Those of the touched have been affected by the Crawlers growth, as you saw as you came in. It is not surprising that he is as well. Especially considering the extent to which he was affected by the darkness."

"What should I do?"

Putting down the mortar, the older woman stood and led her out to the alter, "You must make sure he drinks the sap of the sycone tree," she handed her a small vial of yellow goo," mixed in a cup of water and herbs," a small handful of dried leaves were put into a small bag, "Then, you must make sure he sleeps on his back for at least three hours while the incense of the Path of Healing is in the air," a few sticks of incense were added to her hands, "After this, though he will still have nightmares, they should not be strong enough to wake him or for him to remember when he awakens."

Putting the items in her side bag, Milena smiled, "Thank you, Priestess Mara. Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me until after he is well," she replied, "I have given you enough for one attempt, but nothing more. If he wakes before the three hours are over, then it would have failed. I cannot give you any more, as there are more here who require my attention."

"Of course," Milena replied, "I won't detain you any further."

Giving her a small smile, the priestess made her way back to the dye room, leaving the Queen to her thoughts.

Sighing, she made her way back outside, fingering the seal in her bag.

Please, dear Avo, let this work!

* * *

><p>Opening the door, the door he never thought he'd open, Ben stepped into Milena's bedroom. The young woman in question was busy laying out something on the floor next to her bed.<p>

He coughed politely, letting her know her was there, "You wanted to see me?"

Smiling, the Queen rose, "Ben! I'm glad you're here. Um, could you close the doors please?"

Frowning, the Major complied, pushing the doors together, before returning his attention back to his Princess. "Is there a reason why I'm here?"

Milena closed the distance between them and held his hands in hers, "I need you to trust me."

"What do you mean?" This was getting more confusing by the second.

"Do you trust me, Ben?" she asked firmly, her grip tightening.

He nodded. "Of course I trust you Princess."

She squinted her eyes at him slightly, "Do you trust me enough to let me see you when you're having a nightmare?"

His eyes widened, "What are you planning to do, Milena?"

"Do you?"

They stared at each other for a few moments, neither wanting to answer until the other had. Finally though, Ben relented.

"Yes. Yes, I trust you to see… that."

Smiling, Milena pulled him over to sit on the bed. As she knelt down in front of him, she picked up a small wooden cup. "I want to help you to get rid of these nightmares," she explained, "but the only way I'm going to be able to do that is if you trust me enough to see you when you are in your most venerable state."

Ben sniffed the content of the cup and cringed. It was the same stuff he had to drink after he'd woken up in the temple on Aurora, though there was something slightly different about it… "What is this?"

"Priestess Mara told me that this was the best way to help you," she replied vaguely, "I wouldn't ask what was in it though… It doesn't smell too good."

Nodding, he swallowed it without allowing it to touch his tongue.

"What now?" he asked, giving the cup back.

"Now," Milena replied, putting the cup down and lighting some incense sticks, "you need to go to sleep."

"Sleep? But I'm not even tiered!"

She gave him a 'really?' look before pushing him down onto the bed, pulling his boots off. "You haven't slept in three days. I think you can manage."

"But-"

Milena silenced him with a look.

Sighing, he lay back into the soft, feather pillow, and resigned himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>It took him about half an hour before he was finally asleep. Once his breathing steadied and calmed, Milena began her vigil.<p>

During the first hour, he tried to roll over onto his side three times, and each time, she had to hold him on his back. It was only in the middle of the next hour that he started to become visibly uncomfortable.

He started to mumble to himself, though it was too quiet for her to make out the words, and then move his arms and legs suddenly. At one point, he let out an indistinguishable yell, and Milena had jumped to his side, soothing him with kind words and gentle caresses. After that, he had calmed down considerably, though he continued to mumble.

Over the next few hours, Milena continued to sit with him, holding his hand, talking to him when he became a little too out of control for simple contact. There were times where she had to leave him briefly to light some more incense sticks, and she dreaded each of those times, unsure whether he would be able to last those few seconds without her, but nothing became of it.

By the time the three hours were over, Milena was exhausted.

It was only ten o'clock at night, but it felt as though she had missed the whole night. She could barely keep her eyes open, and promptly collapsed on the bed, unconsciously snuggling closer to the warm body next to her.

* * *

><p>Prying his eyes slowly open, Ben squinted at the light that was pouring in through the windows, disturbing his slumber. Groaning, he pulled his arms closer to his chest.<p>

Something in his arms moaned.

Looking down through squinted eyes, he recognised the brunet locks of his Princess. But surely he was still dreaming. She would never be here with him… would she?

"Pr-Princess?"

Milena squirmed slightly in his arms, but refused to awaken.

"Princess."

Slowly, the vision blinked her eyes open and looked up at his face, frowning, as though she wasn't sure if this were real, just as he had not moments before.

"Ben?" she asked sleepily, pulling back slightly, "What are you doing in my bed?"

He returned her frown, "I don't… You told me to go to sleep."

Recognition passed over her face, "Oh yeah… I must have… You're very comfy. Did you know that?" she asked as she nestled closer to him, her eyes closing again.

It was perfect. She felt perfect. She _was_ perfect.

He was in heaven, and she was his angel.

Suddenly, she sat up, eyes wide and fully alert and awake. "Oh… Oh bloody hell. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to… I mean-"

"It's alright, love," Ben interrupted, "You're very comfy too."

Milena looked down at the bed, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. "Yes, well um… Did you sleep well?"

He frowned and looked at the window. When he'd last checked, it had only just been getting dark, "I'm assuming I did, since it's morning. I didn't… you know… scream, or anything… did I?"

"What? No! No, of course not!" she replied, "You did toss and turn a bit, and mumble a few times, but that was it really."

He nodded. "So… I'm okay now?"

Milena came closer to examine his face, "Well, you don't have red eyes any more… though I think you might need another shave."

He sighed, "A man's curse!"

She laughed and then pulled him to her lips.

He could feel the adrenalin running through his vein, and the explosions in his mouth and he wanted more, but he held back. She wasn't ready yet.

When she pulled away, she looked like she was about to say something, but she was disturbed by a sound that they had all been dreading; the town bell.

Sitting up, they both looked out the window. It was getting darker.

"No," she murmured, "It's too early."

**AN - Dun dun DUN! Mwahaha! Now you have to wait until next time! And since my Grandma's come over, and it's my cousin's First Holy Communion tomorrow, it could take a while. Haha!**

**Well, since that was the case, I thought I'd give you this long chapter instead! I hope you liked it. It was fun to write.**

**I've decided to start a kind of play list on here. Basically, whatever piece of music I listened too most while writing a chapter, I will write down in the authors notes what it was. Maybe you'll listen to it... you never know. I must warn you though, the songs don't always add up to the chapter I wrote. I'm weird like that sometimes!**

**This update's song is 'La Seine' from A Monster in Paris, the French version (it's better than the English one).**

**Anyway, I think you all know what's going to happen in the next chapter! But you're just going to have to wait!**

**Until next time!**


	20. Invasion

**Invasion**

There was no time.

The Crawler had arrived so suddenly that Milena was forced to use the nearest weapons to her. Luckily, that had included her Shrieking Pilgrim, but Scythe's Warhammer was in the Sanctuary – which had suddenly become inaccessible – so she ended up having to use the Thunderblade which had been hanging in her room.

It wasn't anywhere near as powerful as her hammer, and it felt too light in her hands, but it was the only one close at hand, so it had to do.

Ben, on the other hand, had all of his weapons with him. Being the soldier he was, and after his experience in Mourningwood, he had learnt that you could never be too careful.

As the pair walked out of the front gate, they found Walter, Page and Logan waiting for them, ready for their orders.

"Where is it?" she asked, looking towards the gates on the other side of the bridge.

"About two miles out," Walter replied, "but it's moving fast. It should be at the docks in a few minutes."

Frowning, she chewed the inside of her lip, thinking over what she could do.

"Page," Milena said, "I want you to get to Industrial as fast as you can. You and your men can help the soldiers there defend those who haven't moved to the castle."

The woman nodded and ran over the bridge, turning down the road at the end.

"Logan," she continued, "you take care of the castle."

He frowned, "But I'd be of more use-"

"Your task is the most important of all of ours, brother," she interrupted, "If we fail to keep the darkness out of the castle grounds, you will be the last line of defence before it gets to the people I have sworn to protect. The people who are inside those walls, hoping that we will be able to defeat this threat."

The Prince nodded, though she knew he was gritting his teeth at the thought of being the 'back-up', and ran back the way they had come.

Turning back to the two men left, she glanced at the main gate briefly before addressing them, "Ben, Walter, there aren't any other men I would have fighting at my side."

Giving her supportive smiles, they followed her as she gave orders to some of the men, going back to the castle briefly to give final orders there. When the town bell rang again, she returned to the market.

It took them less than two minutes to get there, but even so, by the time they were passing the stalls of the market, the sky had been completely darkened, the only source of light being the lamps that the soldiers had lit in the streets, and a familiar black ooze was beginning to pool in the cracks of the cobbled street.

The way behind them had been blocked off by a wall of shimmering darkness.

The only way was forward now.

* * *

><p>The Crawler's 'children' almost immediately appeared after they had stepped through the grand entrance to the market place, each exactly as Milena had described them to him.<p>

He had never seen such strange creatures before; their thin frames and small wings would have made them look like angels had it not been for the fact that they were shadows, their red eyes promising misfortune to all who came close to them.

Had Ben not have been blinded at the time, he would have seen them once before in the Crawler's 'temple', but as it was, it was his first chance to see the beings that were sent to destroy them.

Suddenly, he felt something brush against his shoulder, but when he turned to find out what it was, all he could see was the bodies of the soldiers who had not been as lucky as him. Turning back to the task at hand, Ben found that this area was clear of any more shadow beings, and he ran to catch up with his Princess.

As they approached the clock tower, another wall of darkness formed, blocking the bridge from their sight. As this happened, the ground shook, and several bird-like machines appeared in the only exit from this courtyard.

"The lightbringers have come," growled an all too familiar voice, "But this is the kingdom of unlight now. This is the kingdom of death."

"Oh Avo, it's here!" he exclaimed, his blood running cold at the thought of it, "It's-"

"Ben!"

Blinking, he pulled himself out of his state of horror, and fired at one of the monsters.

To his surprise, it exploded into shards of cogs and broken metal, but it was not long lived as he took aim at the next. His time fighting hollow men had taught him to never linger on the past whilst in the middle of a fight.

Once again, he felt something brush against him, but this time he was certain he could distinguish the long, sharp fingers that shadowed his skin. Once again he found nothing to indicate that what he had felt had been real, and yet he could still feel the cold trail those fingers had left in their wake.

"Death beats its wings for you," the voice whispered, making him shiver.

It was everywhere. Was there no escaping it?

Grasping his rifle in both hands, he ran after Walter down the small ally way, dodging the great lakes of darkness that seemed to drip up into the sky. As the approached a pile of sandbags, he froze.

"William?"

* * *

><p>A young man was sat leaning against the wall on top of the sandbags, a book in hand. It seemed surreal, and yet he didn't seem to be anything but genuinely there. She didn't recognise him, but there were certain aspects about him…<p>

His muddy blonde hair, his lanky figure, the way he held himself.

No. It couldn't be.

"William?"

Ben's strangled cry only confirmed her suspicions.

"Ben, no," she said, holding onto his arm before he could pass her, "It's not real. He's not real. William's dead. Please, remember that!"

"But he's-"

"No!" she cried, turning his head to face her, "That's not him. It's the Crawler. It's trying to trick us."

She could see the pain in his eyes, and she knew it had only been recently that he had discovered his brother had died, but as fresh as the wound was, she couldn't allow him to hope if it was a way for the darkness to take him from her again.

As he nodded, she smiled and kissed him on his cheek.

When the older Finn sibling suddenly burst into flames, she could feel him flinch under her fingers, but he remained by her side, though his eyes remained fixed on the hideous scene.

Once they had passed it, Ben relaxed considerably, but he was still tense, ready for their next bout.

Passing through the courtyard once more, Milena watched helplessly as the children killed those few who hadn't been able to get to the castle in time. As their bodies fell motionless to the floor, she could swear that their eyes were staring at her, blaming her for their fates.

"Dead fingers talk," the Crawler growled at them, "dead fingers whisper…"

"Leave us alone!" Walter shouted into the darkness as more creatures appeared.

"…dead fingers claw at one million eyes."

Ben fired at the last shadow, and it exploded into mist, "Does it have to be so damn dark?"

She could feel the anger rising inside her as she passed the tailor's shop, ignoring the hurtful words the Crawler whispered into her ear, ducking away from the shadow crows that flew from the windows, revealing images of her, and then finally a skeleton held up by chains. Was that to be her future? Is this what it had in store for her?

Running past, she vented her rage into the swings of her sword, watching with grim satisfaction as yet more enemies fell before her blade. However, for every foe she vanquished, she saw a dead ally, soldier and citizen alike, lying in the gutters or in some obscure corner of the path. It was probably meant to scare her, but it only made the fire inside her burn all the more brighter.

When she heard that monster thanking her for the fearful screams and cries of her people, she knew then that the only way she was going to end this madness was when it was dead.

As the last of the armoured children were destroyed, she made her way towards the bridge.

* * *

><p>As Milena ran on ahead, Ben shivered when he felt those fingers touching him again.<p>

Knowing he wouldn't be able to see their source, he followed on behind her as close as he could, though it took him a while to get past the shadows that had blocked her from his path. Luckily, Walter was there, and they were able to make it to her before she was overwhelmed.

With the bridge cleared, they started to make their way towards the courtyard next to the front gate.

There it was again! But this time it came from in front of him. It was almost as if it was teasing him, taunting him into doing something he knew he would regret.

Suddenly, he found himself facing a clear pathway directly into the courtyard, and, being too tired to think why that might be, he ran straight through it, leaving Milena and Walter to stare after him, confused as to why he'd lost his sense of caution.

Vaguely aware of the Queen's cries, he stopped just inside the archway and turned to face her.

At first, she just seemed worried, but then her eyes moved past him, and they grew wide with horror and started to run towards him.

Frowning, Ben turned back and froze.

Dear Avo…

It was the Crawler, stood right in front of him.

"Ah," it growled, "The lost sheep returns to the flock." It pulled its hand up to his face, but he squatted it away, drawing his pistol and pointing it at the monster, but it was too fast and moved his arm as he fired, pulling him in further and forcing him lower, "No one ever leaves the darkness behind."

Using its other… hand, it pulled back his head, forcing his mouth open.

And then it plunged its fingers down his throat.

* * *

><p>"No!" Milena cried, but it was too late. The Crawler was inside him.<p>

Walter yelled in frustration. He was trapped out of the courtyard by a wall of darkness, so he had to stand and watch the scene at a distance.

When the creature had crawled inside of the Major, Ben almost immediately fell to his knees, dropping his Dragonstomper on the ground, and he looked as though he was going to throw up, but then a strange cloud started to form around his body, and he stood once more.

Milena gasped when she saw what he had become.

His eyes had once again become blackened by the darkness, and his face was distorted into a maniacal grin. As he drew his rifle and cutlass, she knew she'd lost him.

It laughed, Ben's voice mixing with its own, making it sound all the more horrifying, "Such power!" it cackled, "I can feel it running through his veins!"

She shook her head in disbelief, "Ben… no…"

The Major's vacant eyes snapped back to her, and he smirked, "Do you see? Do you see what you have allowed?" it asked, pointing the cutlass at her, "Do you see the shadow I have become?"

Suddenly, the steel of his blade burst into dark flames, the tongues of fire reaching out into the air, though they left their wielder unharmed.

"Please… You have to fight it!"

Milena barely dodged the strike the Crawler made, though his movements were hitched and slow, rolling out of his reach before he could strike again, but then she had forgotten he still had a rifle.

She felt the bullet tear through her sleeve as she rose, though her skin remained untouched. Returning her gaze to the possessed man, she was surprised to find a look of frustration and rage on his face.

Why would he… Oh.

Realisation dawned on her. Ben _never_ missed what he was aiming for.

* * *

><p>Relief swept through him when he saw that she was unharmed. Even though Ben didn't have total control of his body any more, he could still influence certain actions. He had already made it difficult for the creature to move, and making its aim sway was, although painfully difficult, the most logical thing to do, but he remained unable to communicate to her in any way than to slow the monster's attempts to kill her.<p>

He could feel its anger rising, and could feel its grip on him tighten, but he continued to struggle against it, refusing to give up.

As the battle wore on, Ben could feel his grip on reality slowly wearing away. It was then that he knew that there was no chance that the Crawler would ever relinquish him while he was still alive. He could feel its blind panic when it discovered its children were gone, defeated by the soldiers of Albion no doubt, and he saw his opening.

"Kill me!" he shouted, "Or we'll never be rid of it!"

Shock played over Milena's face at his comment. He saw the turmoil that was playing in her mind written clearly in her features, even as she moved in for the final strike.

In its confusion, the Crawler didn't register what was happening until it was too late, and the cold steel of Milena's blade was sliding though his ribs.

* * *

><p>She felt his chest tighten in his quick gasp against her shoulder, and his fingers found their way onto her shoulders, his weapons having fallen uselessly to the floor. They squeezed weakly as he slowly pulled himself away from her, her grip on her sword destroyed in that moment of astonishment.<p>

Tears sprang to her eyes as she watched him struggle to breathe, but she dared not come any closer, as the shadow that had surrounded him still clung to his frame.

Soon, though, the shadow shrank away, pouring out of his wound and through his fingers, only to form the monster she knew to be the Crawler, its face a picture of rage.

Finding herself unarmed, having lost her rifle during the fray, she looked around, desperate to find a weapon, knowing her will power wouldn't be enough to defeat his foe. As her eyes fell upon Ben's cutlass, resting on the cobles between them, she threw a fire ball at the monster's face and flung herself at the sword, landing heavily on the stones as her hand curled around its scabbard.

With a yell, she swung blindly up at the creature, hoping she would hit her target.

An ear bursting shriek filled the air, but it was almost immediately silenced as Milena's stroke severed the Crawler's head from its body. As it fell to the ground, it dissolved in the wind, turning into ashes and smoke, leaving nothing behind to show that it had been there; the shadow disappearing from the city, and the whole of Albion.

She had done it. The creature was dead, and Albion was safe once more.

But at what cost?

* * *

><p>Not like this. No. He wasn't going to… not like this…<p>

Ben grasped the handle of the Thunderblade and gritted his teeth. He was not going to die with a sword still imbedded in his chest! No! He was not going to let that happen. Taking a deep breath he changed his grip.

Ready? One, two…

He yelled as the blade cut through his flesh, but he didn't stop pushing, forcing himself to continue his task. When he was finally free of the damned thing, he suddenly felt a bout of dizziness settle about him.

Probably the blood loss, he thought coolly as he stared at his red hands, I've lost more than enough to kill me.

As the world began to turn sideways, he became aware of the softness of the ground behind his head. It had an amazing similarity to…

Moving his gaze from his hands, his eyes locked with Milena's brilliant chestnut ones, the flecks of gold hidden within a distant yellow in her tears. It felt as though his heart would tear in two at the sight of those tears, but there was nothing to do about it. He was slipping away.

"Oh, Ben," she cried, teardrops falling onto his face.

"Sh now Princess," he murmured, reaching up to wipe away her tears, only to replace them with bloody smears, "don't cry. You did the right thing."

"But… you…" she sniffed, "I can't lose you Ben!"

He smirked, "How could you lose… a man like me, huh? I'm far too handsome a man to lose."

She giggled quietly, smiling through her sorrow.

Good. At least he made her smile one last time.

"I love you, Ben."

He froze. Surely she didn't just…

"I love you," she said again, coming closer to his face.

He could feel the familiar sensation of electricity running though his body, but there was something more this time.

She loved him! She really loved him! How fate liked to toy with him. Only when he was dying was he allowed to know this. Only now, when he could do nothing about it.

As they parted, he grinned at her, "I love you too, Milena… though I wish I'd said it sooner."

He tried to laugh, but he ended up coughing and slipping even further into the oblivion that awaited him.

She noticed.

"Please. Please, don't go."

"I don't think I have much of a choice, love."

For a moment, he just lay there, staring up at her, but as he felt death's fingers giving him the final warning, he knew he had to distract her.

"Do you… do you remember our first kiss?" he asked.

She nodded, "It was on the bridge outside of Brightwall, at sunrise. You had just told me about what you did in the library all those years ago. How you had left your home to find work, and how you and Samuel had become friends. I loved those stories." She laughed a little, looking off somewhere, "I especially liked the one about you and that girl in the stacks, and how she thought that you…"

It was pure bliss, listening to her voice. He barely noticed it when it stopped, the oblivion finally taking him in.

He was going to miss her more than anything else, but now he was powerless to stop this fate he had been given. There was so much he had wanted to do, but was now unable to. He was going to leave her in this world, though not alone. He only wanted that chance. That chance to be part of her life.

If only.

If only…

"_**Wish Granted."**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN - ...Wow... I can't believe I just wrote that...<strong>

**That was probably the most monumental thing I've ever written in my entire existence; that one small phrase at the end. And at the end of the most tension filled chapter ever! Gawd...**

**Well, I loved writing this chapter guys. Sorry it took so long, but I've been caught up with family and opening an account on deviantart (same name if you wanna check it out).**

**This week, the song is 'Send me a Song' by Lisa Kelly from Celtic Woman (don't forget, it's not exactly inkeeping with the chapter's mood).**

**I bet you're screaming at the computer screen now. things along the lines of "What the hell?" and "Who was that at the end?". All in good time my friends. All in good time.**

**Anyway, as always, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and until next time!**


	21. The Aftermath

**The Aftermath**

Milena let her tears flow freely as she clung to the still form of her one true love, rocking back and forth on her knees, holding his head next to her chest. Her heart felt as though it had been shattered into a thousand pieces.

Why?

Why did he have to leave her? So soon after revealing his own heart to her? After connecting their souls for those briefest of moments? Did Avo truly hate her so much as to take away the one thing that she wanted most in the world?

These questions filled her mind, but they had no way of escaping through her lips as her sobs racked her body.

A squeeze on her shoulder brings her blinking back to reality from the recesses of her frantic mind.

They were all there, watching her, sympathy and sorrow filling their eyes. Walter was stood next to her, his hand still place firmly on her shoulder as he looked at the still form in her arms.

"You have to let go, Milena," the knight's gruff voice murmured into her ear, "He's gone."

Shaking her head, she twisted her hand into the fabric of the red and blue jacket, "No. No he's no… Ben can't be gone. He just can't be… Not yet. Not yet…"

Sighing, the old man made his way around to the other side of the body and put a hand over hers and moved it into the still grasp of the Major's.

Looking up into his grey eyes, the young Queen tried to blink away her tears.

He wouldn't have wanted this. He wouldn't have wanted her to behave like this over his body. She knew he wouldn't have…

Sniffing, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, ignoring the red stain from the blood that still clung to her cheek and examined the other figures that stood around them.

Logan was stood a small distance away, his armour dented in several places from the battle, and there was a crude bandage of sorts wrapped around his upper left arm, and Page, who was stood slightly closer, seemed to have obtained a cut just over her eyebrows, a thin river of red flowing over her features.

It was in that moment that Milena knew that she had to be strong. Not just for Ben, but for herself and her people.

The kingdom of Albion had been through one of the worst ordeals ever recorded since the notorious Jack of Blades, and it would need a leader to help it back onto its feet. A leader that wouldn't buckle under the pressures of…

She frowned.

She swore she could have just…

Ben's fingers moved.

Looking back down at the blond haired man, she stared at his hand, watching, waiting, _hoping_ that what she had felt had been real.

For a moment, nothing happened, and she felt the hope that had risen inside of her begin to sink back into the sea of despair, but then she saw it. The faintest of twitches in his digits, the slight frown of his brow, the small groan of an unpleasant dream.

"Walter," she whispered, moving her hand over the once dead man's heart, "He's… he's moving."

"Spasms of the muscles," he said in an explanatory tone, obviously trying to keep his mind at a safe distance, "It tends to happen when-"

"His heart's beating!"

He stared at her, "What?"

She could feel it, the steady pumping of his heart against her skin, bringing a smile to her face. It was weak, but there.

Walter put his hand over his young friend's mouth and nearly choked.

"But that's… that's impossible!" he exclaimed, "No one could have survived that! He shouldn't be… Impossible!"

Milena openly smiled now, her tears of sorrow turning into tears of joy.

He was alive! Ben was alive! Avo alone knew how, but he was alive!

Avo had blessed her this day. She was blessed with this second chance, and she wasn't going to waste it.

Pulling her Major up against her chest, she looked up at her brother, "Logan, I need you to get a surgeon here right away. Major Finn needs urgent medical attention."

Nodding, the Prince started to make his way back towards the castle, the relief and confusion he felt showing on his face.

"Hold on, Ben," she said, turning back to the unconscious man in her arms, "You're going to be alright."

* * *

><p>This was not happening.<p>

He was not stood in the middle of giant hall that seemed to be painted in every shade of white known to man. And there was no way this hall, with no sight of any windows, candles or doors, could be so well lit.

And it was impossible for Scythe to be standing, bold as brass, right in front of him, bandages covering his mutated face and hands.

… This was because of what he made Milena use his Warhammer for back in the Hall of the Dead, wasn't it.

The ancient man stared down at him, an amused look in his eye.

"I did not think that a man such as you could be so easily surprised," Scythe said, his voice seeming to echo through his entire being.

Ben closed his mouth (he hadn't realised it had been open) and blinked. What could he say to this guy? He was the big man! The original (if all the stories were true)! The most _powerful_ Hero in recorded history! And he was just… standing there, like he was actually _human_.

"Well, I… uh… You're not, exactly… um…" he stumbled, unable to get any understandable sentences out of his mouth due to the sheer awe he was currently experiencing. "I must be dead."

One of the Hero's… eyebrows?... rose, "And what gave you that impression?"

"Well, I don't think I'd be standing here if I wasn't, I mean I was just…"

He let his words dry up on his tongue as realisation crossed his mind. Looking down at his chest, he put a hand over the spot where he could remember Milena's blade pierce, and yet there wasn't a mark on his uniform.

Memories filled his mind of those moments before he woke in this room. The pain in her eyes, the fear he felt for leaving her…

"No, Benjamin Finn, you are not dead."

Head shooting back up to meet those deep red eyes, he frowned, "But-"

"Was it not so that you wished to live?"

Remaining silent, the blond haired Major nodded.

Inclining his head slightly, Scythe examined him, making him squirm under the scrutinising gaze. It made him feel like a child again, just being handed back to his mother after being caught pick-pocketing for the first time.

"Then I do not see what the problem is."

For a moment, he couldn't think of what to say, but them there was only one question left to ask; "Why?"

"I'm afraid that question has far too many implications for me to answer you to the degree you are no doubt hoping for," the taller man replied, "Would you care to clarify?"

Ben shook his head at the sophisticated reply, but continued, "Why am I still alive? How am I still alive? What is this place? Why am I here? Why are _you_ here? How do you know my name?"

He would have continued asking his questions, but the Hero raised a hand, silencing him, "Since your head is no doubt filled with these inquiries, I think it would be appropriate for me to address them one at a time, therefore permitting us to delve into the subject at greater length." He started to walk away, motioning for the Major to follow, "As for your first question; you are alive because you wished it to be so."

Catching up to him, Ben frowned, "So, if I hadn't 'wished' to be alive…?"

"I would not have helped you," Scythe replied calmly, "If you had not wished it, then I would have been unable to pull you from the brink."

"But why me?"

Scythe suddenly stopped and raised his eyebrows, "Would you rather be in the oblivion that is death?"

"Well, no… But I'm sure I wasn't the only one to have 'died' and wished for a second chance. Not just today, but since the beginning of time. Why did you save _me_?"

Red eyes bored into his own, making him flinch.

"You have a power within you that most do not possess," he explained, "It is rare to find someone with such abilities as yours who has not yet discovered them. I must say that I am surprised that you have not, considering recent events."

Ben frowned. What was he saying? Power?

"Usually, Heroes are born of events such as the one you lived through on Aurora, though the darkness appears to have suppressed it while it had been in your system."

The blonde haired man shuddered at the memory of that day and was tempted to leave the subject as it lay, but his curiosity got the better of him, "Heroes?"

Scythe almost seemed to smile as he turned away again, walking towards the furthest wall, "I believe you asked what this place was."

"Yes but-"

"I will show you."

As they reached the wall, the Will user held up a hand towards it.

Suddenly, the stones began to move, pulling themselves back out of the way, twisting and turning to create an archway, leading out to a strange garden surrounded by an endless blue ocean, the ground covered in soft sand and short cut grass. The soft sounds of the waves upon the beach filled his ears, and the salty smell of the seas greeted his nostrils.

Once through the doorway, Ben searched the horizon for sight of any other land, but none could be seen.

Turning back to ask yet more questions, his words fell silent on his tongue.

The archway was gone, and he was now stood in the middle of this sandy island with nothing and no one but Scythe at his side.

"This is the place where I first discovered the power of Will," the Hero said, looking fondly at the environment, "I was probably only a few years your junior when I achieved that which awakened the line of Heroes within my blood. And, as such, it is where we shall awaken your power."

Ben was flabbergasted, "_My_ power?" he asked, "But I'm just a soldier! I don't have-"

"Do not underestimate yourself, Benjamin Finn. You have held the ability to wield the power of a Hero since your birth, though have lacked the means to truly obtain it. This," he motioned their island, "is the means for you to discover your lost ability which the darkness had unknowingly discovered within you.

"During the time you will spend here, you shall become the Hero you were always meant to be, as your birth right and abilities dictate. I shall teach you to control it and bend it to your desires, as many have done before you. Do you understand?"

He nodded numbly, trying to process everything he'd just been told.

He was a Hero? But how was this possible? As far as he knew, the last of the Heroes had died out many years before he was even born, save for the rulers of Albion.

"Good. I'm afraid that you will not be able to endure the luxury of the years of training that would have been the usual method of training, but a matter of days. It has come to my attention that the darkness was not the only threat on your kingdom, though it has waited for it to be at its weakest to strike."

What? "What threat? Why didn't I know about this before?"

"Because the only man who could have known does not care for Albion as you do, and so does not heed the signs his masters give."

The Hero frowned slightly; his face gaining a serious tone, if that was even possible as he already seemed serious before.

"The Shadow Judges have found their court to be a very lonely place, the gifts they are given no longer quenching their thirst for power. They are dangerous beings. Beings that only Heroes could dream of defeating, of which Albion sorely lacks.

"This is why you must accept what you are, else the world you know will cease to exist, as will all things within it."

Ben nodded. "I understand."

Scythe's face brightened considerably at his answer, "Then we begin at once!"

With that, he moved towards the water's edge, but stopped suddenly, "Oh, and as for your last question. I take care to know the names of my descendants, no matter their origin."

**AN - Finally! Another chapter! I didn't mean to leave you guys hanging for so long, but my computer crashed when I was half way through writing it and I lost the file! I also ended up watching the Avengers in the cinema on Tuesday, so I kind of became obsessed with Loki (and discovered Tom Hiddleston), so... well... Sorry.**

**I know the chapter's mostly Ben based, but it was necessary in order to set up a few things...**

**This time, the song's called 'For An Angel' by Paul Van Dyk.**

**Hope you guys liked this update, and... Until next time!**


	22. Awakening

**Awakening**

It had been just under a day since the Crawler had attacked, and the reports from across the kingdom had been gathered and assessed by many eyes and hands and were now sitting on the desk in front of the Queen… which would probably explain why they looked so dirty and creased, with as many folds in them as there were words written.

Sighing, Milena gathered them together and put them into one of the drawers, making a mental note to file them away later. Although the letters had born good news, they held a sharp sting.

Less than fifty people in the whole of Albion, civilians and soldiers alike, had been killed by the darkness, compared to the thousands it could have been, but the damages done to the properties had created a backlog of funds almost as extensive as it had been after the revolution, though the most expensive of all was the repair work for the Brightwall bridge.

Hobson, of course, had tried to dissuade her of taking any responsibility towards these damages, stating that they should only be repaired through the funds raised by the people themselves, but she wouldn't hear of it, to his great regret.

Page had gone back down into the Industrial quarter of Bowerstone in order to help clear away most of the rubble and Walter was busy sorting out the remainder of the army, making sure every useless gun, bullet and barrel of gunpowder was returned. Logan was the only company that had remained in the castle besides…

Milena clenched her teeth together.

Ben hadn't made any sign that he would be awakening any time soon, the only signs showing he was still in the land of the living being the steady rise and fall of his chest, the small movements of his fingers and the strange expressions that played across his face.

It pained her to see him so still. He had always been so energetic and unpredictable before…

Moving out of her office, she made her way outside, keeping out of the way of any human contact as much as possible, which was considerably easy considering what time it was.

The sun was just coming up, reminding her that life was continuing, the sky turning red as the light progressively changed its colour from a deep black to light blue, only slithers of clouds polluting its vast space. It didn't seem natural for it to appear so normal so soon after the invasion. It just didn't seem natural. When she'd spoken to Walter about it, he just said that nature had an amazing way of surprising you.

Looking up at the sky, she observed a flock of geese flying overhead.

Yeah, he got that right.

Suddenly, she found that she was unable to supress a yawn, and her mouth gaped open in a show of unabashed exhaustion.

When was the last time she slept?

Blinking, she recalled the night before the attack, and how comfortable and warm she had been while lying next to the Major. _Her_ Major. Sure, he hadn't exactly been himself to start with, and that had been almost heart breaking to watch, but he had pulled through, and seemed so peaceful.

But now…

Turning back to the castle, Milena made her way up the stairs towards her own chamber, Tyson trotting solemnly beside her, the dog knowing that now was not a good time to disturb his master.

With each step she took, it felt like an immense pressure was being forced onto her chest, making it harder to breath as she closed the distance between herself and the great door. She was sorely tempted to just abandon her journey and head back to her office or to find Logan or Walter, but she had to see if anything had changed.

As she stood in front of the doors, her hands froze on the handles. She didn't want to know what lay inside.

There was a chance that Ben was wide awake, fully recovered and back to his usual self, but that was slim and unlikely. The more likely chance was that he was still comatose, or… Or he could have died in his sleep.

Tyson nudged her leg and looked up at her patiently, his eyes pleading with her to go in.

Smiling down at her faithful companion, she pushed the doors and stepped inside… before becoming completely and utterly paralysed.

The sight that greeted her was nothing she had expected to see in a thousand years.

"Good morning," Scythe said, bowing his head politely at her, "I trust you are well."

* * *

><p>The steady whisper of the breeze tickled his nose as he stared at the target he'd been set, his bare toes digging into the sand beneath his feet.<p>

Ben had removed his jacket, boots and socks some time ago, setting them down in a pile next to where he had first arrived, and had since moved to the edge of the island, his sleeves and trousers rolled up to his calves and elbows.

The strange orb that was floating above the water's surface had a red glow, reminding him of the similar spheres he had seen Milena hit in the Hall of the Dead. What had she called them again? Oh yes. A 'flit switch'.

He'd tried to reach it, but whenever he stepped so much as a toe in that clear, cool water, the winds picked up and the oceans thrashed and roared, submerging the switch in its depths.

He was only going to be able to reach it with magic, and then it would lead him to his next test.

Or, at least, that's what Scythe had told him… before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

So much for teaching me.

Already, he could feel his stomach growling from hunger, and his throat was dry from the inability to drink, the sounds of waves driving him steadily mad with their promise to quench it, but the salt hidden within spoke of a worse punishment.

Was this what the great Hero had in mind? A slow and steady death? Was he to be surrounded by that which he craved, only to be unable to reach it? Already it felt as though it had been days, and still he held no chance of getting any closer to the end of this torture, the sun never relenting, always shining down on him.

Staring out at the switch again, he took a deep breath and tried to calm his thoughts.

He was inside _his_ mind, right? Or at least some kind of place that could only be accessed through the mind anyway. That meant, if he thought of something then that something would appear.

Well, that logic hadn't gotten him anywhere when he tried it after Scythe had first left, or all the times after, so maybe it was more… _feelings_, or tapping into something beyond just his thoughts.

What had he said? Something about being surprised at how Heroes were made through events like the ones he'd been in? So what would that entail?

Stress? There was an awful amount of stress during those past through months, what with all the deadlines. Or maybe fear? Fear of losing himself to the darkness was an ever present threat during that past year, ever preying on his already upset mind. But that kind of fear didn't seem to hold the right kind of feeling for him.

Perhaps it was the fear of losing something far greater than himself. Perhaps losing something more dear to him than his own sanity, and even his life, was what was needed to unlock this currently unobtainable power that was allegedly inside of him. Maybe a fear of losing the one woman he would do anything for…

Taking a deep breath, Ben closed his eyes and tried to think of his Princess in the way that hurt him most, gritting his teeth when the images became in the likeness of the nightmares he'd had since his first encounter with the Crawler.

* * *

><p>Milena watched in fear and anticipation as Ben groaned under her watchful eye, sweat beginning to form on his brow as he began to toss and turn in his slumber.<p>

Scythe had not left his side since she had first set eyes on him, his attention focused mainly on the bandaged man before them, constantly moving his hands over the wound in his chest hidden under the layers of linen, never speaking a word.

The Hero had explained to her briefly that he was here to help him recover, though didn't reveal his reasons as to why. Since then, neither had spoken, the ancient man's concentration obviously needed to help the Major, and Milena too fearful that if she were to distract him, Ben would be lost to her forever.

Sitting there in that silence was something akin to steady suffocation, the inability to obtain any news of her love's progress almost enough to send her into fits of rage, but the knowledge that, if she did so, it would take even longer for him to come back to her kept her lips sealed.

Crossing her arms in front of her stomach, she tried to recall the feeling of his own arms around her, his lips against hers, the feeling that always filled her with his every touch…

Collapsing next to the bed, she leaned on the soft sheets and put her head in the nest created by her forearms, her nose cresting the peak of the fleshy hill, eyes examining the agitated form before her.

Oh how she longed for him to be well again! To be patrolling the halls of the castle with that look of determinism that she had grown to love as much as his frequent smirks.

Slowly, a tear slid down her cheek and she could feel a wail building in her throat, making it difficult to breath.

She sniffed and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her shirt. To hell with etiquette!

Grasping onto Ben's left hand, Milena released a cry as she pulled it to her right cheek, letting her tears fall onto it.

"Come back to me Ben!" she cried, "Don't leave me alone."

Unbeknownst to her, the corners of Scythe's lips rose.

True love was something that was sorely lacking in this world…

* * *

><p>Blinking his eyes open, Ben found that his environment had changed.<p>

He was now stood on the top of a floating rock, only around five meters in diameter floating above a great depth that didn't appear to have a bottom. The sky was a deep blood red, and the sun was hidden behind black clouds that spread across the heavens like a spider's web.

Turning around, he felt his heart stop at the sight before him.

"Mi… Milena?"

On a mass of land very similar to this one floating some ten yards away, stood Milena, the Queen of Albion, and of his heart, hands held behind her back by a being he had hoped never to see again.

Ben watched as the mirror image of himself caressed her beautiful form, his fingers leaving trails of darkness in their wake, his hair as dark as midnight and eyes as red as rubies. The twin's skin was as pale as the moon, but the shadow and smoke that surrounded him made it seem more grey than white.

Milena was perfect as always, save for the dreaded marks left by that disgusting hand, and her head hung limply forward, eyes closed as though in slumber, oblivious to the evil that held her.

The Shadow grinned, "It's nice of you to turn up!" it laughed, "We've been waiting for some time."

Ben gritted his teeth, anger beginning to build within him, like a spark that had been dropped on a dry hay stack. "You let her go."

Shadow cackled again, "Why should I? Is it not you who's holding her? And besides," he took her chin in his hand and lifted her face up, "I think she'll like me more than you." His tongue made a path along the ridge of her cheek bone, making her move away.

The spark inside him became a raging fire in seconds, and he reached over his shoulder for his rifle, only to have his fingers grasp at nothing.

"She never did love you," it continued, "Not _you_. She only saw _me_. It was me that she wanted from the very beginning. Not the incompetent fool that you are. Not even a man. Just a stumbling mess with a past more chequered than the hand-me-downs you wore as a child!"

It threw a ball of dark flames at him, catching him in the shoulder, forcing him to take a step back, hissing at the pain.

"You don't deserve to be called 'Major'. The only man who deserved that title is dead because you were too scared to go to the palace with him! You are nothing!"

Another spell hit his leg, driving him to his knee.

"You are nothing," the shadow repeated, the deep, slimy voice in his ear now, "And you will be nothing. Once I destroy you, I will take her, and ravage her. She will wish she had never been born, and cry out your name in anger and hate."

Ben stared at Milena, her form crumpled on the ground, tears forming in his eyes.

Suddenly, he could feel something cold against his fingertips, surrounding his left hand. It was strange, and yet familiar, the wet texture bringing memories of Milena's own tearful eyes to the forefront of his thoughts.

No. He will not let that happen.

Growling, he swung around, catching the Shadow in the jaw with his fist, forcing it to fall back, its smirk slipping slightly.

Pulling on the fire he felt within him, he pulled his dark twin into a dead lock, his arms surrounding it in an unbreakable grasp.

As it struggled, he released the flames inside and it screamed, its flesh bubbling and boiling, growing red hot and blistering. With one last squeeze, the figure burst into flames, the fire covering its body from head to toe, but it didn't touch him, only licking him in the way a dog would; with obedience and pleasure.

Letting the burning form go, he watched as it tumbled over the edge, disappearing into the darkness below, but some of the flames lingered in his hands, the warmth they granted him filling him with joy and calm, their embrace granting him comfort, granting him access to call upon it whenever he needed it.

He knew now how to pull it to his side when he needed. He knew how to control the flames that had once seemed so terrifying and destructive.

It was a part of him now.

Closing his hand into a fist, he turned back to Milena, who was now stood, smiling at him, eyes glistening.

"Come back to me Ben," she whispered, "Don't leave me alone."

Nodding, he closed his eyes…

… and woke in Milena's room.

**AN - Yay! Ben's finally awake! But what's going to happen next? Only time will tell...**

**Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been feeling a little down recently. I got my IB results last Friday and discovered I didn't pass my course (because of one stupid point in Maths! I didn't even want to do Higher! T_T). I still have a chance to get into my University, but it's a significantly smaller one than had I passed. I did get the points I needed though, so there's still hope... Wish me luck!**

**This time, I listened to 'Selig' by Helium Vola. It's one of those weird ones that just makes the world just fade away...**

**Hopefully I'll be able to give you guys some news on my University next time, though I can't promise anything, and I thought I might let you guys know that I'm considering writing a Loki fic and wanted to know what you guys thought before I posted anything (don't worry, I won't abandon this story. I never abandon stories. And I won't put it on hold like some of my others!)**

**As always, hope you enjoyed the chapter and... Until next time!**


	23. The Camp Fire

**The Camp Fire**

Ben's demeanour changed dramatically, his muscles relaxing and the tension leaving his features, the calloused fingers against her cheek curling slightly, as though trying to pull her closer. Lifting her head up, Milena found herself staring into those deep blue eyes she had thought she would never see again.

"Hey there, Princess," he said, grinning softly, "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

She felt her breath catch in her throat as a smile crept across her face.

Was it a dream? Had she fallen into a blissful slumber as she had knelt there, his hand pressed to her cheek? Surely, such a perfect moment could not exist in reality.

"I do not think the young lady is able to speak at the moment, Benjamin Finn," the tall wizard said from where he was stood across from her, "Perhaps it is due to the shock of seeing you awaken so soon after your injury."

The Major turned his head and frowned, though his eyes were filled with annoyance and anger rather than confusion. Had he already met the ancient Hero?

When he once again turned to face her, Ben's loving gaze worked its way across her face, and he lifted his other hand to wipe away her tears, wincing slightly from his wound. Smiling, he pulled her towards him.

She melted into his arms as the familiar feeling of adrenalin and lightning made its way through her, his lips pressed longingly against hers, the breath from his nose tickling her own, the stubble on his cheeks scratching her skin.

As they drew apart, Ben put a hand around the back of her neck and smiled.

"I love you, Milena, and there is nothing that could tear me away from you. Not anymore."

Feeling the tears beginning to form once again, she buried her face in her shoulder and wept.

* * *

><p>It had been a few hours since he had first woken, but he hadn't yet left Milena's room, though he wasn't confined to the bed any more.<p>

Apparently, Scythe had decided that his physical health had been more important than his inner battle with 'Dark Ben'. Not that he was complaining about the fact that the gaping hole in his chest was little more than a few scars (though he was told not to strain himself too much for a few days), but it would have been nice to know he would have had some back up had he needed it.

Milena, since his waking, had ordered a servant to retrieve a white shirt and a Major's jacket, or his old Captain's uniform, as the one he'd worn during the invasion (he still couldn't believe that had only been the day before) was stained with his blood and with two rather large holes in.

In all honesty, he wouldn't have minded walking around in them, just to see how everyone would have reacted, but even he had to admit that it would have been a little _too_ much.

And so, that was how he found himself standing in front of a mirror wearing a shirt that was a little too big for him and his old jacket that still held the stains from his time in Mourningwood. Milena had long since left in search of Wally and Logan, and Scythe had disappeared, though he was hardly surprised.

Now he was alone, he was sitting on the bed (which he had remade) and was staring at the candle which was still lit on the table beside him. There was something about the flame that fascinated him, drew him in, and there was something inside him that made him want to touch it, to feel its warmth on his fingers.

He remembered what had happened in… that other place, but surely that was only the fire he created, not ones that were already in existence!

But still the feeling remained and only grew stronger.

Soon, it felt as though he was trying to keep an earthquake at bay, and he finally caved, picking up the wax stick and moving his forefinger in and out of the flame. At first he did so quickly, for fear of receiving a burn, but then he slowed down, letting it lick his fingers, as it had done before.

It really wasn't any different to the fire he held before. Sure, it was warm, but it didn't hurt.

Suddenly, there was knock at the door, and he put the candle down before anyone entered. It was a little too soon to start explaining that he was a Hero now. He still needed a little time to recover.

As the door creaked open, Ben stood and ran a hand through his grimy hair.

Avo, he needed a bath.

"Ben!"

He smiled as the old knight entered the room, arms outstretched, and a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Walter!" he replied in a similar manor, though he didn't open his arms as wide, the skin of his chest still a little too tender from before.

Moments later, he was in a tight embrace, fighting for air and feet some way off the ground.

"Come now Walter," came another familiar voice, "let the poor man breath."

Dropping to the floor once more, Ben looked over his friend's shoulder to find the two royal siblings walking over to them.

"Logan," the Major said, holding out his hand, "It's good to see you again."

The Prince smirked, "Is it really? Or are you just trying to be polite?" he asked, taking the offered hand.

Ben decided not to answer.

"So, how long was I out?" he asked, pulling one of his sleeves back up his arm again.

"A day, if you can believe it," Walter replied incredulously.

He blinked, "Are you serious?"

The knight nodded, "One day your dead, the next you're right as rain!"

The blonde haired man shook his head and sat back on the bed, head in his hand, "But that's… I thought…" He groaned, closing his eyes, "This is all too confusing."

"You're telling us."

They remained in silence for a bit, but then the bed dipped slightly as Milena came to sit next to him, pulling him into her arms.

"Don't worry," she whispered into his ear, "We'll figure everything out. You'll see."

* * *

><p>Ben had decided to go and see his men, who had no doubt heard of his latest 'adventure' and assumed the worst. Mind you, anyone would have assumes the worst after hearing of a tale like that…<p>

The men that had decided to remain in the army were currently camped outside of the cities and villages they had been ordered to protect, though Milena had noticed a fair few were inside the walls, 'mingling' with the people who were all too glad for their presence (and she was sure there would be several forms of thanks for some of them). However, those that had come to respect Ben as a friend more than a legend were sat around where a camp fire had once burned, nursing cups of something resembling beer in silence.

For whatever reason, Ben had decided to surprise them… which was probably why they were both hidden behind a tent.

One of the men sighed and looked around at his friends, "Aren't we a sorry lot."

Another snorted, but the others just stared into their cups.

"Come one lads!" the man continued, the blanket draped across his shoulders slipping slightly to reveal his Lieutenant's uniform, "It's been a day! We've defeated a great threat to our homes! We should be celebrating!"

Yet more silence.

"Look, I miss him as much as you do, but we have to move on."

The one that snorted looked up at the Lieutenant, "I's no' like we could jus' forge' 'im, is i'?"

"He was the best Major a soldier could wish for," someone else stated.

"And he always knew how to lighten the mood."

There was an all-round collection of nods and murmured agreements.

Milena heard Ben snigger quietly next to her, but the others didn't hear, so she elbowed him in the ribs, making him yell in pain. Served him right for pulling such a trick on his friends!

This caused the soldiers to look in their direction, some of them instinctively reaching for their weapons.

"Who's there?" the Lieutenant asked, rising from his position, "Show yourself!"

Ben glanced at her briefly, rolling his eyes, before making his way around the tent, carefully avoiding the ropes that were keeping it up.

Several of the s when they saw him, whilst others just aimed their weapons at him, eyes wide in disbelief and fear.

"It's a ghost!" came a cry.

The Major laughed. "Yes, I'm a ghost," he said, "Here to haunt you for the rest of your days!" He wiggled his fingers in a mysterious way, making a face before laughing again, "Nah, put your guns down, I'm not dead."

They continued to stare at him.

"Oh, for the love of… Milena!" he shouted, "Could you come out and prove I'm not dead?"

She was half tempted to just leave him there, but she couldn't deny his men the knowledge of his survival. Sighing, she made her way towards him, ignoring the 'your majesty's thrown her way as the soldiers stood. Once she reached Ben's side, she poked him in the stomach, causing him to reel over in pain.

"Ah! Jeez!" he exclaimed, "That's still sore!"

She pouted, "But I thought you said you wanted proof."

"Not _that_ kind of proof!"

The officer came towards them, his steps slow and careful. As he came closer, his arm extended, until…

"Impossible!"

Ben nodded, "You can say that again."

The Lieutenant dropped his rifle and grabbed both of Ben's arms, squeezing them slightly so as to reassure himself. There was still a look of doubt about him, but there was a hint of joy slowly spreading through his eyes.

"I… I saw her kill you!"

He cringed, "Ah. Not exactly a _good_ memory, but…" He shrugged.

"How are you alive?"

Ben pursed his lips and looked over at Milena for some support.

Smiling, she pulled his hand into hers and took a breath, "I think it would be better if you sat down."

* * *

><p>Since when had Milena become such a great story teller?<p>

Even if it was his own story, Ben found himself captivated by her telling, smiling to himself as she embellished on all the right points, such as how badly wounded he'd been, and that he had actually been dead for hours before coming back. When Scythe's name was mentioned, the men, as expected, were doubtful, but it didn't stop them from enjoying the tale all the same.

By the time she'd finished, it was beginning to get dark, but they both knew they weren't going to be leaving any time soon.

"'ere Ben!" Vincent cried, nudging his elbow, "You haven't told us your side of the story yet!"

Everyone cheered in response, raising their cups to their 'triumphant' leader.

He waved a hand, shaking his head, "No, no, I don't think you'd want to hear my story. Milena's was all sunshine and rainbows compared to mine!"

The Queen frowned at him when he said that, but buried her nose in her cup.

Of course, everyone else just took this as an invitation, and soon they were all urging him on.

"Alright! Fine!" he exclaimed, "But don't say I didn't warn you!"

Clearing his throat, he sat up straight and turned to face the fire place. "Now, I haven't told a soul what I am about to tell you, and I'm not going to repeat myself, so don't interrupt!" he warned, pointing his finger around the group. They nodded. "Right then…

"I'm assuming this was during the time that I was dead, though I do not rightfully know if this is true, but I can remember waking up in a large hall with no windows or doors, and yet it was filled with light. There wasn't a single thing around, apart from myself, that wasn't white. As I looked around, I found myself walking in circles, when suddenly…!"

Everyone jumped like children, making him smile.

"…there he was! At least eight feet tall with ribbons tied across his face to hide the distorted features underneath, a great staff in his hand and eyes as red as blood! Scythe!

"The first thing I thought was; 'does he know about the hammer?'…"

Milena sniggered.

"…but then he told me that he saved me from the, how did he say it?... Oh yes! The 'oblivion that is death'." He deepened his voice to sound more like Scythe's, causing several sniggers, though most were focused on the story. "He also told me that he'd saved me because – and I'm not saying this because I think it, he really did say it – I'm supposed to be a Hero."

They all stared at him… the burst out laughing.

"Come off it, sir!" Freddy said, holding onto his stomach.

"It's true!" he exclaimed, "Look, I'll even show that it is later, but first, let me finish my story!"

He let them calm down and, ignoring their amused looks, continued.

"As I was saying, he said I was supposed to be a Hero. Don't! He said that my 'power' was dormant inside me, but I had to 'awaken' it somehow. So he took me to an island, where if I stepped a toe in the water, then it would become a raging sea. Scythe said that I was to learn how to control 'Will' there.

"Now by that time, I had noticed that he kept calling me by my full name, but not once had I introduced myself, so I asked him about it. So, just before he vanished into thin air, he said; 'I take care to know the names of my descendants'."

Another round of laughter picked up.

"Come on guys!"

Eventually, they calmed down again, but they couldn't remove the smiles from their faces. Even Milena was having a difficult time hiding her amusement.

Sighing, Ben took a sip of his drink. "Well, anyway, he left me there for what felt like weeks. I was hungry and unable to get water, trying desperately to 'awaken' this power I was supposed to have, when suddenly the island disappeared, and I was stood on a rock that was floating above a bottomless pit. The sky was red and the sun was hidden from view by vast black clouds, but even in that light I could see it."

His eyes became vacant as he remembered the scene, his voice growing quieter, "There was another rock, like the one I was stood on, only it was out of reach, and I saw…" He swallowed, " It was like seeing a mirror image of me, except it was what I could have been if… if the Crawler had taken over completely. It had black hair and white skin, and its eyes were so deep a red I thought I was looking into the pits of hell. It was surrounded by a cloud of smoke, and… Milena was stood there in its arms, helpless… and I couldn't do anything!"

He wiped away a tear that had begun to fall down his cheek and blinked, "It taunted me. Told me I was weak and that she didn't want me. It conjured fire and threw it at me, telling me I was nothing and… I snapped.

"When it came close to me, I held it in a bear hug, and I let the anger inside me escape. It melted in my arms, the flesh running off his bones in front of my eyes, the flames eating every last piece of it, but it didn't hurt me. When it fell off the edge of the rock, I knew I could control that flame inside me."

Blinking, he shook his head and came back to reality, and the stillness of the men before him, all eyes wide in shock at his words.

He felt Milena's hands on his shoulder, their touch giving him strength.

"And then I heard you call me back," he said, turning to face her, "and I woke up."

She smiled a small smile at him and held his hand, pulling him to his feet.

They were about to leave when he turned back to face his men.

"And in case you didn't believe I was a Hero…"

He threw a fire ball at the pile of sticks in the middle of them, lighting the fire none of them had bothered to notice.

**AN - Well that was an interesting chapter to write...**

**Once again, I have been surprised by my own hands! I had no idea where this chapter was going, and the fact that Ben wanted to go to see his men sounded like a good idea, so I just went with it. I think I do reminiscent Ben a little too often...**

**This Update, I was listening to 'Blow Northerne Wynd' by, once again, Helium Vola. And yes, that is spelt correctly. It's just very old English.**

**I still haven't heard anything from my universities yet, but I did get my new phone today! Yay! New toy!**

**I don't know when I'm going to update next. I was hoping to write a chapter or two for some of my other stories, and I'm still considering that Loki story...**

**Hope you liked this chapter and until next time!**


	24. A Warning

**A Warning**

It was too late to do anything except sleep by the time the pair of them got back to the castle, as they took their time wandering through the streets, stopping to help people move things out of the way sometimes, but mostly they just talked. They had a lot to talk about.

Since his so called 'death', Ben had seemed to have accumulated the power of Will, though how and why were a complete mystery to the Queen of Albion, and so she asked him a steady stream of questions.

How long have you known? How did it happen? How _could_ it have happened? Why did it happen?

And for each question, she received an answer. Or at least as much of an answer that he could give.

He'd known ever since Scythe told him while he was asleep. It happened the way he had described it in his story. It happened because he'd always had the power inside him, but it hadn't awakened due to his circumstances, plus he was the descendant of their ambiguous legend. And it happened so that he could help protect the kingdom from a threat known only to him as the Shadow Court.

When he'd mentioned it, Milena briefly remembered the stories her mother had told her about when Reaver had asked her to do him a favour, which ended up costing the young Sparrow her youth for a time. It was in this story that the Shadow Court and Judges had been mentioned.

If this was the threat that was to be prevented, she didn't want to know what they were planning, but she knew she would have to, otherwise she would never be able to keep her people safe.

As they reached the main doors, Ben made to remove his hand from hers, though they had been practically glued to each other since the camp, but she stopped him.

"I don't care what everyone will say," she said, smiling at his confusion, "I love you, and I think it's about time that they knew that."

Squeezing her fingers, he nodded, returning her smile, and they entered the castle together.

Once the pair were stood on the carpeted floors of the entrance hall, hands still firmly connected, the passing servants glancing at the strange spectacle, they made their way up the stairs and headed towards the royal bed chamber. By the time they had reached it, at least twenty people had noticed then, and it was clear that they knew exactly what she had wanted them to know.

The curtains were still open when they closed the door closed behind them, so the room was lit by the light of the stars and moon, making everything look like it was covered in pixie dust.

"The royal bedchambers," Ben mused, looking around at the furnishings and the like, "Never thought I'd find myself here."

"Mm," Milena replied with a yawn, eyes resting on the bed when she opened them again, the lids drooping.

Looking at his love, Ben smiled. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Hm, what?" She blinked. Was it that obvious? "I don't know. Um… the night before the battle? I don't know."

He nodded.

Suddenly, Milena found herself in his arms, floating across the room until she landed softly on her bed.

"I think it's high time you got some beauty sleep, Princess," the Major said, pulling her boots off, "It wouldn't do for the Queen of Albion to fall asleep in the middle of some important discussion in court, would it."

She moaned. "But court is so _boring_!"

He laughed, "Well, that's because _I'm_ not there!"

"So true!" she replied, trying, and failing, to keep her eyes open as another yawn escaped her lips.

"But right now I think you should be off to dream land."

Nodding into her pillow, she curled up into a ball, letting the world melt around her. "I love you Ben."

"I love you too, Milena."

* * *

><p>Folding a thin blanket over her curved form, the Major smiled as she pulled it around her, her breathing settling into a steady rhythm.<p>

After making sure she was asleep, he crept across the room, opening and closing the door as quietly as possible. Once he was safely outside, he sighed.

"I see you have finally decided to come out of hiding."

Ben nearly jumped out of his skin when Scythe suddenly appeared in front of him, holding a hand over his heart as it jumped wildly about in his chest.

"Don't do that!" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

The Hero just smirked, or at least did something that resembled a smirk, and turned around, walking back along the corridor. Huffing, Ben took the hint and followed.

No one was in the hallways, or on the stairs… or anywhere they went for that matter, which was far from usual. But then this was Scythe, so he'd probably used some spell or something to make sure he wasn't seen… or something…

The War room was empty when they arrived, and, like in Milena's room, the surfaces were covered in that light that could only be called magical.

"I notice that you haven't yet told anyone other than the Queen of the situation that the kingdom is in," Scythe said, stopping to look out of the window.

"I haven't had a chance to yet," he replied, looking over the map.

"We both know that is a lie."

We do?

"You've had almost a day, and still there are only two people to know of this danger that threatens this land!"

Ben jumped back from the table as the luscious greens and blues of the land and its lakes melted away into dark reds and browns, the cities becoming black and vacant, the forests disappearing and the mountains collapsing under their own weight.

"I cannot show myself – cannot be seen by any other than the Heroes of this land, and yet you sit here and tell stories around camp fires whilst the lives of the many thousands are steadily being stolen from them by beings worse than that dreaded darkness that haunted you!"

The sight of the transformed landscape before him has him transfixed, unable to blink or move.

"Already, they have started to move," Scythe continued, "The Shadow Court have taken the lives away from a small handful of innocents already," Ben could hear the screams of young men and women and began to cover his ears, "but it won't be long before they venture out again."

As the screams stopped, Ben turned to face the man that had been one of his idols when he was a child, his cold eyes glaring at him in hatred and disappointment.

"How… What can we do?" he asked, his voice small and uncertain.

Inclining his head, Scythe studied him, the anger draining out of those all seeing eyes.

"Before you are able to do anything to help the people of this kingdom, it will be necessary for both you and the Queen to learn how to control your Will," he explained, "For her, it will be just getting her used to using it without the help of her gauntlets, but you… You will require training. Training requires time. And time – time is a luxury, and something we do not have."

* * *

><p>Milena woke to the familiar feeling of a wet tongue sliding across her cheek.<p>

"Ah! Tyson!" she exclaimed, sitting up suddenly and wiping her face with her sleeve, "What did I tell you about doing that?"

The dog just jumped off of her bed and barked cheerfully at her, completely oblivious to her foul mood.

Sighing, she pulled herself off of her bed, the blanket that had been covering her falling uselessly to the ground and began to search for her boots.

Wait… when did she take off her boots? In fact, when did she get under the bed covers?

Racking her brain, she tried to remember exactly what had happened that previous night.

She could remember sitting with the soldiers, and then Ben had lit the fire with…

Her eyes widened as she recalled the conversation they had on the way back.

Ben was a Hero! A _real_ Hero! And a descendant of Scythe no less!

Dragging the blanket off of her and leaving it in a pile on the bed (no doubt Ben had been the one to cover her after walking her here) she pulled on her boots that had been placed by the chair next to one of the wings and made her way out of the room, the excitable canine following with a short 'yip'.

Walking through the corridors, she couldn't help but notice the looks that were being thrown her way, though they disappeared when she went looking for them. No doubt they originated from the rumours that had more than likely spread through the halls since that show she had given them the previous night, but she didn't pay them much attention. She needed to find Ben.

"Your majesty!"

For Avo's sake! Would this man ever leave her alone?

"Yes, Hobson," she sighed, turning around to find the man in question running up the stairs, though it didn't look like he would be able to make it to the top without some help.

Against all odds, the butler made it, wheezing and puffing, but he was still there all the same.

"Your… your majesty!" he repeated, making her roll her eyes at him, "Sir Wal… Sir Walter Beck reque… requests that you… meet him in… in the kitchen… hoo…" He bent over double as he tried to catch his breath.

"Thank you Hobson," she replied, patting him on the shoulder, "I think you should have a little lie down."

He nodded as she passed him, and she headed down towards the back of the palace.

Why would Walter want to meet her back there?

As she entered the busy work room, she made sure to keep out of the way of the maids and chefs that were moving around the various tables and work spaces, their heads down in concentration. It was only when she got to the other side of the room that she saw the old knight, munching on what looked like a slice of toast as he stared out of the back door.

Looking over his shoulder, Milena could see Ben staring up at the great monument in the centre of the gardens, arms folded across his chest.

"You wanted to see me?"

**AN - I decided to keep this chapter short (don't ask why, it just seemed like the right thing to do), so I'm sorry if it's not long enough for you. And I'm sorry it took so long to get this up! I've been looking at my other stories and Summer's finally started, so it got a little... relaxed on my part.**

**Oh! I have some great news as well! I discovered I got into the University I wanted to go to! WHOOP! :D ****I should be starting my VFX course this coming September!**

**Also, I joined tumblr and a site called hitRECord this week, so if you want to find me, I have the same username on both of the websites as this one.**

**I listened to Inception (Junkie XL Remix) by Hans Zimmer (from Inception... duh) during the majority of this.**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to upload soon! (though considering it's the summer holidays, I have no idea when that will be... sorry :P)**


End file.
